Meet 17th District Candidate George Gaulrapp (D-IL)

We continue profiling the Democratic candidates running for Congress in the 17th district.

That district starts in Rockford and heads south towards the Quad-Cities before winding up in Peoria.

We take a closer look at candidate George Gaulrapp.

"Hi my name is George Gaulrapp, is your mom home?"

Door to door campaigning is a lot like a sales job. And that's a familiar feeling for former salesman George Gaulrapp.

"I enjoy meeting people, I enjoy working with people and at that point I enjoyed the fact that the products that I sold were able to help people's lives."

The Democratic candidate for Congress entered local politics for a personal reason.

"My property taxes I thought were too high"

He won a Freeport aldermen's seat on his second try. And then wound up winning the mayor's race twice. His people skills helped define his governing style.

"You listen to their problems, you try to ask them to join you with solutions and then try and make them move forward."

And his leadership skills reflect his personal values. Values he learned from his father.

"It's not about you, it's about the people that you serve and that's how I conduct myself, that's how I raised my children."

"A week from today is voting day, March 20th, thanks."

Gaulrapp's running for Congress on another personal issue.

"Are you working currently?"

He believes most problems can be solved with a paycheck. But he says that's getting more difficult in the 17th district.

"Today, there are people with three part time jobs just to support the full time jobs they lost."

He's been in that situation before. He juggled a full time, a part time, and an aldermen's job to pay one of his children's medical bills.

"I know its difficult but I know it can be done."

And he believes everyone should be able to find a place for a paycheck.