Ted Dabrowski, a gubernatorial candidate for Illinois, said rural areas are losing jobs and population and vowed to make the state more competitive to attract businesses during a meet and greet Oct. 6 at Laila’s Bar and Grill, 305 E. Main St., Stronghurst.
“Rural communities across Illinois are losing jobs and people as small-time industry continues to disappear,” said Dabrowski. “Illinois manufacturing positions have fallen by nearly 18,000 jobs since Gov. Pritzker took office in 2019. As governor, I will work to improve Illinois’ competitiveness so businesses will come back to Illinois.”
Rural Illinois has faced sustained population decline over the past decade, mirroring national rural trends. According to estimates, Henderson County, where Stronghurst is located, has experienced notable decreases since 2010, with one of its sharpest single-year drops between 2019 and 2020. The village of Stronghurst counted 833 residents in the 2020 Census. These shifts highlight challenges in maintaining workforce, services, and small-scale industry across west-central Illinois communities like Stronghurst.
According to the University of Illinois Extension, manufacturing employment in Illinois has trended downward over the long term despite a post-pandemic rebound. The state’s manufacturing jobs fell from 839,749 in 2001 to 576,244 in 2023 after hitting a 25-year low of 555,406 in 2021. This trajectory aligns with national structural shifts even as select sub-sectors expand. This context underscores why employment counts can decline in some regions while individual plants or niches grow.
Manufacturing remains a cornerstone of Illinois’ economy even amid employment changes. A statewide analysis for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association estimates manufacturing’s annual economic impact between $580 billion and $611 billion, supporting roughly 1.68 to 1.77 million jobs when direct and indirect effects are included. That scale reflects extensive supply chains and value-added production spanning metro Chicago to downstate communities.
Dabrowski is president of Wirepoints, a conservative research outlet focused on data-driven analysis of Illinois policy. He previously served as vice president of policy and spokesman at the Illinois Policy Institute and spent 16 years with Citibank in international roles, including corporate and investment banking leadership. In September 2025, he announced his campaign for the 2026 Republican nomination for governor, emphasizing economic competitiveness and fiscal reform.
