Peggy Hubbard, who calls herself “a Republican who boldly speaks the truth,” visited campus Monday to prove she could do just that.
“You want someone who is gonna tell it like it is,” Hubbard said.
Hubbard is running against the incumbent, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin in the 2020 election. Hosted by Bradley’s College Republicans, the discussion took place in the Michel Student Center Ballroom.
About 15 people gathered around circular tables to listen to Hubbard speak. The audience raised their hands, asking questions to Hubbard. As she responded, she walked between the tables, making eye contact with the attendees and gesturing emphatically.
Hubbard emphasized her service in the Navy, her work as a police officer and her 17 years of experience working for the IRS. Now, she’s a mother of six and grandmother of 18. As a black woman, Hubbard is not the stereotypical conservative voice.
“When you’re a black woman like me, running for one of the highest positions in the country, the cards are stacked against me,” Hubbard said.
Although Hubbard has never ran for office, you still might recognize her name. In 2015, she released a which soon became viral. It featured her criticizing a well-known activist movement.
“Yes, I’m the one who cursed out Black Lives Matter,” Hubbard said. “I did that video, and I’m not ashamed of [it].”
She cited the nation’s high rates of ‘black-on-black crime’ as to why she made the video.
“Do you know how many black folks have killed other black folks?” Hubbard said. “We are treating each other like we don’t matter.”
The full discussion lasted almost two hours. The question-and-answer format allowed many attendees to have their questions answered. Questions centered on a wide range of topics, from the student debt crisis, healthcare, immigration the protests in Hong Kong, the removal of troops in Syria and the dangers of socialism.
Junior political science and economics major Aiden Beckman is the president of College Republicans. He said Hubbard’s appearance was meaningful to their club.
“Having a U.S. Senate candidate on campus is significant in and of itself,” Beckman said. “[But] College Republicans hasn’t independently hosted a speaker at any time in recent memory. We were very happy that she was able to speak with us.”
Junior political science major Isaiah Harlan appreciated Hubbard’s interest in listening to every student’s questions and concerns.
“I’ve met many politicians and candidates who always seem to be too busy to take time to visit with smaller districts or schools,” Harlan said. “Peggy’s interest in our event impressed me.”
Peggy Hubbard posted on her Facebook following the discussion.
“Great night speaking with the young Republicans at Bradley University. Kids like this are the future of our state.”
You can find more information at peggyhubbard.org.
