Will County Gazette

Nick Stella, a Darien Republican, is looking to take all the expertise he’s mastered as a longtime cardiologist to Washington, D.C., to cure what ails the country.

“As a medical professional, it is my philosophy to provide excellent patient care,” Stella told the Will County Gazette. “Medicine, like politics, is such a rapidly changing field that you have to stay on top or be left behind. I want to provide the best and most technologically advanced care for all my patients and be a congressman that will take what I practice in the medical arena to Congress.”

The 49-year-old former Downers Grove Township GOP precinct committeeman is running in the March 20 Republican primary in the 11th Congressional District for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) on a platform of more jobs and a better economy and health care system.

Stella said he also envisions changing the “politics as usual” culture to an atmosphere where lawmakers are more genuinely concerned about the needs of the people they are elected to represent. 

“We need to bring more good high-paying jobs into the 11th District,” he said. “To do this, business must be cultivated and allowed to thrive by freeing them from overly burdensome regulations and taxes. We have had a good start with the recent tax reforms, but there is a long way to go. Simplifying regulations and streamlining government’s role in business operations will boost the opportunity for entrepreneurship to flourish.”

On the issue of health care, Stella said the system remains broken and the only way for it to be fixed is for the Affordable Care Act to be repealed and replaced.

“Comprehensive reform of the health care delivery system is needed to provide care more efficiently and in a more economical manner,” he said. “America has the best health care and health care providers in the world. When the wealthy of the world become sick, they come to America for care. We must strive to improve the delivery of health care in order to assure no child wants for care, no worker is trapped in an unwanted job and that the unemployed and elderly are provided affordable quality care.”

Stella said he thinks the government should be doing all it can to preserve the country’s long-held standing in international affairs and its reputation for strong world leadership. 

 “America has a proven track record of strong support to our allies and those relationships should continue to be honored and developed, especially with our Middle Eastern allies, such as Israel, as we continue to monitor and assist other nations with threats of terrorism,” he said. “A strong national defense is vital to the security of America, domestically as well as to our interests and military personnel globally.”