Patti Vasquez is joined by Rachel Ruttenberg, Democratic candidate for the 9th Illinois State Senate seat (currently held by Laura Fine).
Ruttenberg discussed her background, including her roots in the North Shore district and "20 years of public policy experience putting progressive policy ideas into action." She has worked for Chicago Public Schools, led the legal aid nonprofit Family Defense Center, and held a senior policy role at Heartland Alliance, an anti-poverty and human rights organization, according to her campaign bio.
Ruttenberg said she supports universal health care coverage and wants to see Illinois become more resilient in its health care systems "so that we're not so threatened by the insanity that's going on in Washington. . . . So I think there are a lot of things we can be doing at the state level . . . to make sure that Illinois is kind of living its values and budgeting from its values, and saying we do need the federal resources and we want to be in a place where we can partner again with the federal government down the line, but in this moment, we need to shore ourselves up and make sure that people are able to access a basic level of care," she told WCPT.
Ruttenberg has the endorsement of Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel and State Representatives Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, Tracy Katz Muhl, and Bob Morgan, among others. She faces Patrick Hanley in the March 17, 2026 Democratic primary.
Catch "Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez" weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/driving-it-home).
And find the "Driving It Home (Full Episodes)" podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and Amazon.
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