Meet Paul Nolley.
He didn’t grow up around power or influence.
Paul was born in Rockford to working-class parents who taught him the value of showing up, working hard, and doing right by your neighbors. He got his first job at 15, cooking and cleaning at a local racetrack— and he’s been working ever since. He's been a cook, cashier, cleaner, farmhand, and more.
Inspired by his mother, who finished college as Paul graduated from public high school, he went to Illinois State University, thanks to Pell grants, student loans and a steady job in a diner. In between classes and shifts in the kitchen, he interned for local nonprofits and even toured the country in his rock & roll band.
He then came back to his hometown and delivered for working families — raising record support for youth services, expanding homeownership, mentorship and literacy, restoring child care funding, and leading disaster relief planning.
Today, he serves as executive director of Project First Rate, where he fights for strong blue-collar apprenticeship programs, responsible construction policies, and careers that put working people first.
Paul's not chasing a title or legacy.
He is running because he’s sick of watching politicians cater to the ultra-rich and well-connected while everyday people get left behind.
He's seen the damage done by failed policies from both parties: factories shuttered, family farms sold off, small businesses squeezed, and young people leaving their hometowns behind because there aren't enough opportunities.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Paul believes in an America where work is rewarded, not exploited. Where we expand modern American manufacturing and rebuild our communities with good-paying, family-sustaining careers. An America where veterans are not forgotten, corruption is rooted out, small business thrives, family farmers succeed, and unions are respected.
Actions speak louder than campaign slogans.
That’s why Paul refuses big-money corporate PAC dollars and has earned the support of local workers throughout the district.
He’s proud to be endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO. Because when workers stand together, they win together.
Paul’s not here for the mega donors and political insiders who’ve rigged the system — and he won’t be taking orders from them. He is focused on the people they left behind.
Paul lives in the same community he grew up in with his wife Andrea, a special education teacher, and their two children. He’s a husband, father, and worker. He's one of us — and he’s ready to fight like hell for us.