NIU law student Ryan Gailey will try his hand at politics as the Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 35th District in the upcoming general election.

With no prior political background, Gailey decided to run after approaching the DeKalb County Democrats’ tent at Cornfest in August. His intentions were to volunteer, but he ended up meeting people who encouraged him to enter the race.

“The types of experience I would be lacking are exactly the kind of things you don’t want someone to be experienced in,” Gailey said. “When we’ve got a former governor in jail and numerous investigations, having experience at running a government that way is not something I ever want to be all that adept at.”

Gailey said he thought that experience will come quite quickly in terms of the minutia of the job and wants to figure out a way to do it to positively effect change.

A current staff sergeant for the National Guard, Gailey, who is 28, will soon be a lieutenant in August.

“[Army experience is] not something I, or anyone, should use for some direct political gain, but I think it does give you insight in terms [knowing] when it all comes down to it, what are you really willing to fight for, and is it really your own interests or is it making sure that our nation and our state is in the kind of shape that we can have a lot of pride in it when we hand it over to our kids,” Gailey said.

Gailey said he thought the people of the 35th District deserved better representation in terms of votes being cast in their interest as opposed to against them, because votes are going more toward party lines and away from what will actually have a positive impact on the people in the area.

Sen. Brad Burzynski(R-Clare), the current senator for the 35th District and Gailey’s opponent, said that he had not yet met Gailey, but is looking forward to meeting and talking with him.

“I’m sure we’ll get to know each other a little better,” Burzynski said.