La Salle Democrat to challenge U.S. Rep. Kinzinger in 2020

The chairwoman of LaSalle County Democrats is running for Congress.

Dani Brzozowski of La Salle made her official announcement Tuesday night at Camden Bar in La Salle.

A former small business owner of Sweet Sadie’s Playspace in La Salle, she describes herself as a community leader and activist.

She said she wants to fight for “individuals and families who are not being correctly represented on Capitol Hill right now.”

She will be vying for a seat in the Illinois 16th Congressional District, which is held by U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon.

Kinzinger defeated Democratic challenger Sara Dady of Rockford in 2018. Kinzinger has served five terms in the U.S. House.

Brzozowski said she will fight for affordable health care, protecting the environment and creating jobs, among other goals.

She lists social justice as one of her values, stating she will fight to protect and empower immigrants’ safety and security, as well as the rights of LGBTQ+ communities. She also said she will fight for the rights of all women and “maintain their ability to make personal decisions about their bodies and their health without interference from the government.”

Growing up in an Army family, her background is in nonprofit management.

“I got up close and personal with people who were affected by disparities in the health or the education system and by a lack of access to resources, people who were born into or suffered circumstances often beyond their control,” Brzozowski said on her website. “I saw the way families panicked when a production plant closed, knowing the lifeline of an entire community was at risk. I worked with kids who didn’t have books in their homes, adults who couldn’t read the McDonald’s menu, veterans who broke down and cried when they felt like someone finally let them tell their story.”

Brzozowski was elected LaSalle County Democratic chairwoman in 2018, running on a platform of inclusivity and accessibility. She is a graduate of La Salle-Peru High School and Purdue University. She lived in Chicago for 10 years before moving back to La Salle.