Why I’m Running -

Because I’m tired of waking up in an America that has enough money to help normal folks but with leaders that refuse to do so. At this point Americans are indebted to their employers in way that has not been seen since indentured servitude was abolished.

If you lose your job you shouldn’t lose everything. It may take weeks to apply for unemployment benefits, which won’t even cover the cost of a full month’s rent. Without an income families have to choose which bills not to pay and which necessities to do without. That’s profoundly immoral in a society that creates as much money as ours does. But it is that way because it serves the interests of the corporate elite and in this system the only winners are those corporations.

And what do companies do with that money? Buy government influence with it so they can make even more money; corporations do not care if their greed leads to destitution or desolation for tens of millions of Americans. It’s not right.

It’s Time for a Change.

Everyone agrees that corporations are not people and that losing your job should not mean losing your dignity but due to our ineffective leadership that is the system we have. It doesn’t have to be this way.

I want to fight for you, I want to do what needs to be done in Washington to fight the corporate corruption that is preventing us from having the America we need and deserve. I want to be your progressive bulldog in Congress.

Candidate Bio - Long Story Super-Short:

Christ grew up in rural Illinois working summers, went to U of I, marched on picket lines, volunteered for the Obama Campaign, graduated into the Great Recession, moved to Elk Grove Village, built a career by pursuing office jobs, met the love of his life, got his MBA, moved to Schaumburg, was diagnosed with a degenerative back condition, was laid off, and is now running for House District IL-08 as a progressive Democrat.

Candidate Bio - Long Story Short:

Christ is a lifelong Illinoisian who grew up in rural Amboy detasseling corn, cashiering, bussing, and generally working his way through summers; he went to the University of Illinois where he volunteered for the Obama presidential campaign before graduating with a degree in Political Science into the worst economy in an American lifetime.

While trying to find work he marched on union picketed lines to get better conditions for hotel workers. He found employment in a battery packing factory a short time before joining the Bill Foster IL-14 election campaign.

After that he found gainful employment doing office work and moved to Elk Grove Village. While living here he attended protests, did charity outreach, and met the wonderfully talented, energetic, and beautiful love of his life. After getting his MBA in 2021 from the University of Illinois he moved into his partner’s place in Schaumburg.

For a few years he worked in offices, building his career, but in 2024 he filed for an ADA accommodation for a degenerative back condition and was laid off less than 90 days later.

Due to his fantastically supportive partner he was able to use that layoff to transition into being a full-time house spouse while pursuing his passion of running for the House of Representatives to help those who have the least from those that would do them harm.

Candidate Bio - Long Story Long:

Christ Kallas is a lifelong Illinoisan, first-generation college graduate, and staunch progressive who knows that it is time for a change. He is committed to protecting those who have the least from those who would do them harm.

Christ grew up in Amboy, Illinois, a town of 2,500 nestled in the rural North of the state. He spent his youth working on family farms, detasseling corn in the summers, and dishwashing, stocking, and cashier shifts at a nearby camping resort. His early life taught him the value of labor, dignity, and community.

He is the son of a first-generation Greek father and a hardworking American mother. After losing his father at age five, Christ was raised by his mother who worked as a caretaker for those with mental and developmental disabilities, retirement homes, fast food restaurants, and later pursued a degree in criminal justice before retiring. She is the reason Christ lives and leads with empathy and respect, especially for those working to raise a family with limited resources..

Christ attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he earned his undergraduate degree in political science. He was a local volunteer for the Obama 2008 campaign, picketed for UNITE Local 1, and later after graduating into the Great Recession he packed batteries in a factory near Dixon, IL before serving as a field organizer for Rep. Bill Foster’s 2012 re-election. Afterwards he pursued marketing and office work, gaining experience across nonprofits, chambers of commerce, and small startups. He was able to start building a middle-class life in Elk Grove Village but in 2016, with the first election of Donald Trump, he knew he had to get active in politics again. Across the first Trump presidency he attended protests against the injustices inflicted on the entire nation generally, but marginalized populations specifically.

Christ lives in Schaumburg, on the border of Roselle, with his beautiful, wonderful, talented wife, a lifelong resident of the 8th District. He has been an active member of the IL-08 community for over a decade, volunteering for causes like Feed My Starving Children and marching on picket lines with UNITE HERE Local 1, demanding safe working conditions for hotel workers. He also lives with a degenerative disc condition, giving him firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by working-class people with disabilities.

At age 37, Christ knew he could no longer watch the federal government continue to ignore the needs of his friends, family, and neighbors. That’s why he’s running for Congress — to be a progressive bulldog in Washington, fighting for the people of IL-08 every single day in every single way.

He believes in a simple, powerful platform:

The working class need a fair shot at the American dream

To get there:

• Get Money out of Politics! – Ban money lobbying in government; ban congressional stock ownership; revoke corporate personhood.

• Personal Healthcare for All — Because nobody should be indebted to their employer just to stay alive; medical bankruptcies shouldn’t exist at all and should not be the number one leading cause. People have a right to their personal health

• Childcare for All — Because working parents shouldn’t have to choose between their income and their children. It’s too expensive to raise a child in America, especially places with higher costs of living like in IL-08.

• Universal Access to Trade Schools & 2-Year Colleges — Because a fair economy and good paying jobs starts with accessible education. We have a shortage of experienced tradespeople and blue-collar jobs used to be the number one way into the middle-class.

• A $20 Minimum Wage (indexed to inflation) — because work should pay enough to live. If poverty was adjusted for inflation a $15 minimum wage would be below the poverty line – it’s time American workers finally got their fair share.

• Affordable Housing for All — because supply must meet demand, and zoning must reflect that; corporate landlords should not be able to own 20 properties; American homes should belong to the families that live there

• Election Reform — because without fair elections, people have no power. Ranked choice voting; mandate proportional electors; uncap the house

• Legalize Marijuana — Cannabis, or Marijuana or Pot, is used for recreation, medicine, and for spiritual ceremonies by people all over the country - it’s time we legalize it fully. The American people know what’s best for them and their bodies.