Democratic Challenger for 26th District House Seat to Participate in Global Affairs Debate
Event Comes One Day After Will Burns Expected to Announce Candidacy
(Chicago—October 23, 2007) Will Burns, a longtime Democratic activist and candidate for the 26th legislative district, will participate in a high profile debate on foreign affairs sponsored by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs next week.
The debate will focus on how foreign policy issues like the war in Iraq, Iran’s nuclear capabilities and China’s economic rise will be impacted under a new White House administration.
“Our country’s global future is not just a national problem, it’s a critical issue that needs to be addressed locally,” says Will Burns, candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives 26th District. “During our debate, I plan to address some of the major concerns facing voters in the next presidential election.”
Scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 30th, the debate will come one day after Burns files petitions to officially place him on the ballot as a Democratic candidate to represent Illinois’ 26th District in the General Assembly. The Hyde Park resident is a former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to Senate President Emil Jones, Jr. He has also held positions at the Chicago Urban League, Metropolitan Planning Council and Illinois Democratic Party, and served as the deputy campaign manager for the Obama for Congress 2000 campaign. He currently is Vice President for Conlon Public Strategies.
Burns will debate prominent conservative commentator Dan Proft during the event titled “T-Minus Twelve: Will There Be an Explosive Change in U.S. Foreign Policy in ’08?” Tim Tuten, manager of media relations and events in the Office of High School Programs for Chicago Public Schools, will serve as moderator.
With a professional background recently dubbed “a policy wonk’s dream” by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Laura Washington, Burns’ presence on the panel brings a unique perspective of foreign policy decisions that affect the concerns of Americans every day.
“From the state house to the White House, this is an important year in electoral politics,” said Burns, added that the General Assembly frequently debates resolutions on U.S. foreign policy. “I look forward to hearing some of the concerns of Chicago voters during next week’s debate.”
He is a past American Marshall Fellow of the German Marshall Fund, which selects rising leaders in the public sector each year to travel throughout Europe to study culture, government and business. Burns has continued to draw from his exposure of U.S.-European relations to influence his outlook on foreign policy.