Prairie State Wire

Illinois Republican Lieutenant Governor candidate Carrie Mendoza visited Hillsdale College Saturday, where she attended a football game and met with school president Larry P. Arn.

Mendoza’s son, Jesse, plays offensive line for the Chargers. A 2022 graduate of New Trier High School in Winnetka, he was a Central Suburban All-Conference left tackle and the team’s Most Inspirational Player. He also excelled in weightlifting, winning a 2022 NASA Powerlifting National Championship and finishing runner-up in the IHSPLA competition.

According to her professional profile on Sharecare, Dr. Carrie Mendoza is a board-certified emergency medicine physician with over two decades of experience practicing in multiple Illinois and Wisconsin hospitals. She graduated from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine and currently treats patients at facilities like Advocate Trinity Hospital. Her clinical focus includes urgent cases ranging from trauma to behavioral health crises.

In addition to her medical credentials, Mendoza has worked across a range of communities, managing emergency departments that serve both high-need urban areas and suburban populations. She treats a variety of acute and chronic conditions and is noted for her long-standing practice across state lines. As said on Sharecare, her current locations include Hazel Crest, Illinois, and Kenosha, Wisconsin, underscoring her regional experience.

As detailed in a policy commentary on Morning Answer Chicago, Ted Dabrowski advocates for overhauling Illinois’ education system with evidence-based practices such as data-informed instruction and expanded tutoring. He has criticized the state's current education funding strategy, arguing that financial inputs are ineffective without reform-driven accountability. His alignment with school choice initiatives supports access to a proposed $5 billion federal scholarship program aimed at increasing options for low- and middle-income families.

According to the official campaign website for Dabrowski, Dr. Mendoza combines hands-on medical expertise with a strong focus on health policy reform and civic involvement. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, she addressed lawmakers directly, identified systemic shortcomings, and collaborated with others to improve care delivery frameworks. In addition to her clinical work, she serves as a consultant in medical technology. She holds two patents, having created tools such as a detransition risk Decision Support Tool, telemedicine systems for nursing home care, and communication platforms for emergency departments.