The Making of a Hypocrite: Andrew Chesney’s Empire of Privilege
FREEPORT, IL – September 12, 2025
On August 12, 2025, State Senator Andrew Chesney (R–Freeport) stood at the Stephenson County Courthouse flanked by Representatives Tony McCombie and John Cabello. He used the tragic crash that killed Darcy Ann (Connolly) Brunner and Rolando Ico-Choc to demand the repeal of Illinois’ SAFE-T Act and TRUST Act, declaring:
“Illinois will never be safe until we stop protecting criminals and start protecting families.”
Strong words from a man who, in his own youth, was “protected” by that same justice system — not once, not twice, but three times.
Three Second Chances, Bought by Privilege
Court records show Chesney was ticketed in 1998, 1999, and 2001 for driving 15–20 mph over the speed limit. Each time he pleaded guilty. Each time he received the same sentence:
180 days of supervision
A fine
Driver education class
Three guilty pleas. Three clean slates.
For ordinary residents, repeat offenses mean escalating penalties or license suspension. But Chesney, raised in a family of wealth and connections, was insulated from those consequences. He was the spoiled rich kid who learned early that the rules didn’t apply to him.
His Words, His Mirror
At his courthouse press conference, Chesney declared:
“He was a multiple offender. He violated both State and Federal laws.”
So was Chesney — a multiple offender, violating state traffic laws three times in as many years. The only difference is that the system forgave him every time.
He thundered:
“Illinois will never be safe until we stop protecting criminals and start protecting families.”
Yet Illinois protected Andrew Chesney. It protected his record. It protected the family name. It protected a young man who would grow up believing second chances were his right — and that everyone else deserved the whip.
The Family Empire
This privilege didn’t stop with his court record. Just four years ago, Chesney’s father, Steve Chesney, handed his son a quarter of a million dollars as a donation to his PAC. That money cemented Andrew’s political reign over Northwest Illinois and safeguarded the Chesney family’s business empire.
While ordinary families scrape together $25 or $50 to support candidates, Chesney’s career was bankrolled with $250,000 of inherited influence — the same kind of privilege that shielded him as a young man.
Four Years of Rhetoric, Zero Results
Since then, Chesney has spent four years in Springfield pounding podiums and parroting MAGA talking points. His legislative record is paper-thin. His biggest “achievement”? Handing out a few I-PASS devices to people who didn’t want to order them online.
No real reforms. No local wins. Just endless political theater.
Now, he’s asking voters for four more years.
A New Challenge
But this time, he isn’t running unopposed. One man has had enough. Joshua T. Atkinson (R) has stepped forward to challenge Chesney in the Republican primary — running on common sense, Lincoln-style Republican values: real justice, politics without corruption, and leadership without extremism.
After years of watching Chesney’s family empire tighten its grip on Northwest Illinois, many community members say Atkinson’s candidacy feels like a turning point.
As one longtime Shannon resident put it:
“Finally, someone is willing to stand up to the devil. Atkinson isn’t tied to the Chesney family machine. He’s exactly the kind of outsider we need to clean things up.”
Fighting4Freeport’s Take
Andrew Chesney’s entire career is built on privilege. He was protected by the courts as a young man, bankrolled by his father as an adult, and has used his office to shout instead of serve.
Northwest Illinois deserves better. It deserves a leader who doesn’t live above the rules, who doesn’t inherit power, and who doesn’t exploit tragedy for political gain.
For the first time in years, voters have a real choice. And the Chesney family empire may finally face its reckoning.
