Race for Illinois's 13th Congressional District Heats Up with Questions about Executive Power, Insider Trading, Immigration

EDWARDSVILLE - The League of Women Voters and the NAACP hosted a candidate forum ahead of the primary election on March 17, 2026. Candidates for Illinois’s 13th Congressional District — Dylan Blaha (D), Jeff Wilson (R), and Joshua Loyd (R) — introduced themselves and shared information about their platforms. Incumbent Nikki Budzinski (D) was unable to attend.

Blaha described himself as “a pro-peace U.S. Army veteran and former cancer research scientist” who lives in Champaign-Urbana. He deployed to Afghanistan and Germany and previously voted for Budzinski, but disagrees with her recent votes. He argued for Medicare for all, taxes on billionaires and corporations, and supporting the working class.

“I believe that we need to build a strong Democratic party to stand up to the rising authoritarianism and fascism in the United States,” he said. “What’s going on right now is fascism, and the only way we get through it is by building strong unions and social programs to help working families and give them a fighting chance.”

Wilson argued that Central Illinois conservative values are being overpowered by “left-wing radicals out of Chicago” in Washington D.C. He served in the U.S. Navy and has a master’s degree in nuclear engineering. He currently serves on the Champaign County Board. He wants secure borders, a better economy in Illinois, and more safety in Illinois.

“I love Illinois, and I love the United States of America. I love our Constitution, and I’m committed to supporting our Constitution and the people of Illinois,” he said. “Central Illinois deserves a representative who not only defends these values, but cares for you and your families, for farmers and for workers and hard-working Americans.”

Loyd grew up in Carbondale and attended West Point through the U.S. military. He argued that Illinois has agriculture, education, transportation systems and “every type of resource of success,” but the state is still struggling. He advocated for nuclear energy, better education, and more money back in the 13th District.

“We have the opportunity, but we are not utilizing it to the full advantage. It’s because of the bureaucrats. It’s because of the politicians in D.C., in Springfield. They are failing us. They are failing our economy. I want to put more money back in your pocket,” he said. “Let’s bring back nuclear, let’s bring back money to the district, and let’s bring back better education.”

The first question asked, “What do you see as the main role of Congress in relation to the executive branch: support or challenge? How would you manifest these ideas in action if elected?”

Loyd said all three branches of government are meant to be “a check” on each other’s powers. He believes Congress is seeing “unending spending” and an executive branch with "unchecked authority,” which he believes is true of both recent Republican and Democrat presidents. He wants “more control from the Congressional branch over the executive branch.”

Wilson agreed that all three branches are supposed to check power. He believes the legislative process needs more budgeting and accountability. He said he would “fight and call them on the carpet” when the executive branch overreaches its Constitutional powers. Additionally, he wants to “fight for accountability and get rid of the corruption and fraud that's in all these agencies.”

Blaha echoed the idea that the branches are meant to both support and challenge one another. He added that recent Republican and Democrat presidents have not done enough to support the working class. He wants to see a “Congress that is accountable to the people again and not just accountable to billionaires and corporations.” He believes policies like Medicare for all won’t pass until this happens.

The second question asked, “Congress members are often privy to classified insider information. Do you believe there should be restriction of stock market trading for members of Congress? Do you believe the U.S. military should be used to manage U.S. civilians?”

Blaha called for a congressional stock ban. He shared that he is still a captain in the National Guard, and he has encouraged his fellow service members to “disobey any future unlawful orders” that contribute to the “slow normalization of military in our streets,” which he argues is “authoritarianism.” He added that he wants to see the Defense/War Budget cut.

Wilson agreed there should be no insider trading, adding that insider trading is “unconscionable.” He also said the military “should not manage civilian lives” and pointed out the Insurrection Act has been used many times in history, but he doesn’t want to see this act executed unless there’s an insurrection. He added that the U.S. needs a strong national defense because "without a strong United States, you don’t have a safe world.”

Loyd agreed we need more oversight on elected officials and how they use the financial system and government for “self-gain.” He pointed out that the U.S. military supplied COVID-19 shots to civilians. He said active duty military should not police communities, but also that “the militarization of our police force” and the “unchecked power” of some police departments needs to be "reigned back in.”

The third question asked, “Do you believe the nation benefits from more or fewer immigrants?”

Loyd said the U.S. is “a nation of immigrants” but that there are “bad actors” who utilize the immigration system for “nefarious acts.” He wants to see reforms that remove these individuals from the system. He shared that he married into an immigrant family. He wants to see more educational and work visas distributed to promote opportunities for immigrants.

Wilson said the country "absolutely benefits” from more immigrants, but secure borders are necessary. He wants to see legal immigration and “common-sense reforms” that will speed up the citizenship process, and he promised to “fight to streamline that process because it is a privilege, an honor to be a citizen of this fantastic and wonderful country.”

Blaha said Democrats have “failed at combating right-wing rhetoric” surrounding immigration, which is one reason he is running against Budzinski. He believes there is a “paperwork problem” and no streamlined pathway to citizenship to allow immigrants to be exploited for their labor. He also called for the abolition and prosecution of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The primary election is scheduled for March 17, 2026.

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