Meet Paul
Paul Leong currently works for HCSC/Blue Cross Blue Shield and has worked in a variety of professional roles in finance, technology, health care, and education. As a former FDIC bank examiner, he held the responsibility of protecting other people’s money by auditing financial institutions’ operations. He’s worked at Abbott Laboratories, a Fortune 100 company, as a financial analyst and held information technology positions focusing on network engineering and cybersecurity. He has taught at Ray Chinese School in Lisle on weekends for the last 10 years.
In 2017, Paul won a seat on the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 board, becoming the first Chinese American elected to any office in Naperville. During his tenure, the board lowered taxes four years in a row, maintained exceptional academic standards, reduced the debt levy to zero, and instituted a property tax rebate for the first time in their history. Paul ran and won a seat on the Naperville City Council four years later.
Illinois is heading in the wrong direction with high taxes threatening economic growth, endless corruption, and falling educational standards. Naperville is financially sound, has great schools, supports public safety, and is recognized as one of the best places to raise a family, and Paul decided to run for state representative to bring the same principles making Naperville successful to Springfield.
Paul also served on the Art of Inclusion Executive and Steering committees, promoting the creation of diverse and inclusive art in Naperville. Paul lives in Naperville with his wife, Arista Wang, and their two children. He enjoys family time, bicycling, and listening to live music.
Paul's Priorities
Growing the Economy
Illinois requires a vibrant and resilient economy to attract businesses and create various jobs.
We need to create a more business-friendly climate to expand the tax base. Endless tax increases and long-term deficits chase potential employers away and make current employers consider leaving.
During the pandemic, we saw a rise in telecommuters. Paul would like to see Illinois become a state with favorable tax policies and fiscally responsible budgets to encourage these workers to flock to Illinois, not flee it.
Keeping Communities Safe
Public safety has been given the short shift, with residents feeling less safe as crime rates rise across the state. The lack of support for law enforcement, along with a new law, only causes the crime wave to accelerate.
Paul wants to reverse that trend by improving funding and training and ensuring that local law enforcement agencies have the necessary resources to keep our communities and families safe.
Investing in the Future
The state’s mandated one-size-fits-all education approach did not work, causing frustration among teachers, parents, and students. It harmed the learning process and did not deliver the standards required to prepare students for college and the workforce.
As a father of two children, education has always been important to Paul. He spent four years as a school board member at Naperville Community Unit School District 203, delivering a record of lower taxes without cutting a single program or laying off any non-administrative staff while maintaining outstanding academic achievement results. For the first time in history, the board processed a property tax rebate for residents and businesses during the pandemic of $10 million. By the time he finished his time on the board, the school district’s surplus had gone from less than $20 million to more than $80 million.
Paul’s passion for education will extend to Springfield as a state representative.