Hoduran Republican Immigrant Announces for O'bama's Senate seat

[Selene]

Created: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 10:25 p.m. CDT

Aurora man to seek U.S. Senate seat

By BRENDA SCHORY – bschory@kcchronicle.comComments (4 comments) | Add CommentsE-mail this storyPrint this storyCommentsShare AURORA – An Aurora immigrant has declared that he will run as a Republican for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

Robert Enriquez, 53, said he will run on a platform of lower taxes to individuals and small businesses, of bringing manufacturing back from overseas and to serve only two terms.

“I’m not going to Washington to make it a lifelong journey,” Enriquez said. “It’s to get some work done. I think [politicians] should go home and live the travails of daily life and not make it a life cause or career. The most I will run is two times, not more than that.”

Congressman Mark Kirk has already declared his interest in seeking the position, now held by Rolland Burris. Burris has said he will not seek election in 2010. Kirk has served in the congress for five terms.

Enriquez was born in Tegulcigalpa, Honduras, and came to the United States at age 13, learning English along the way. He served in the Marine Corps, graduated from the USMC Command and Staff College in Washington, D.C., and he holds an MBA from Baldwin-Wallace College in Cleveland, Ohio, according to his biography on his Web site, www.

enriquez2010.us.

Enriquez serves as a Republican member of the Illinois Human Rights Commission since 2005, and works as an education manager at Rasmussen College in Aurora. He is married and has four children.

A businessman, Enriquez said he was instrumental in bringing D&R Technology LLC back to Illinois from Mexico.

Enriquez said he has been voting for Republican presidents since he was 18 and does not agree with the Obama agenda for the economy, saying it will exacerbate the deficit.

“It’s topsy-turvy,” Enriquez said. “It is my belief that he has it backwards. This administration is raising taxes and what they should do is give breaks to individuals and small businesses. I did not agree with George W. Bush’s deficit spending. Use money prudently and if you don’t have it, don’t spend it.”

Enriquez said he is concerned about the Republican Party returning to the values it held when he joined at age 18.

“The reason I joined the Republican Party is because of the values I strongly still think it holds and the opportunities it provides to small businesses and the nation,” he said. “At the end of the day, we are all immigrants.”

Enriquez’ pledge is to listen to the rank-and-file citizenry instead of corporate lobbyists when considering legislation.

“When you go into office, you hold a covenant with the people and should not be focused on re-election,” Enriquez said.