Max Solomon, a Republican attorney, is running for Illinois Treasurer in the Nov. 3 general election. Solomon said he is seeking the office to reduce the tax burden on Illinois residents by bringing fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability to state government.

Solomon, who immigrated legally to the United States from Nigeria in 1992 at age 21, said he arrived with $40 and went on to earn a law degree and become an adjunct professor. He has been endorsed by the Madison County GOP.

Candidate information

Party: Republican

Office sought: Illinois Treasurer (Nov. 3, 2026, general election)

Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria (immigrated to the U.S. in 1992)

Education: Associate degree, South Suburban College; bachelor's degree in political science, DePaul University; master's degree in theology, Valparaiso University; JD, Valparaiso University School of Law

Occupation: Attorney

Experience and public service

Solomon listed his occupation as attorney and said he also served as an adjunct professor of political science and law at South Suburban College. His campaign website describes him as an attorney at law in Illinois' 38th District.

He previously served as committeeman for the Bremen Township Republican Party and as a trustee of the Grande Prairie Public Library. Both are former positions, according to his questionnaire responses.

On the issues

State finances and investment: Solomon said he would focus on fraud investigations and eliminating wasteful spending. "Illinois does not have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem," he said in his questionnaire response to Surround Sound News. He supports a real-time public dashboard so taxpayers can track every dollar invested by the treasurer's office. He also said he would direct state deposits to community banks and credit unions across all 102 Illinois counties to ensure rural and underserved communities have access to capital.

Taxes: Solomon supports tax cuts, a property tax freeze, a flat-rate income and business tax, and a balanced budget. He said the changes he would bring to the office would pay off for taxpayers when the state's income exceeds its expenditures without raising taxes.

Education: Solomon said he would strengthen the Bright Start and Bright Directions college savings programs. He supports school choice.

Government reform: Solomon describes himself as pro-small government. He said the critical difference between himself and his opponent is ideology, characterizing his opponent as favoring more taxes, more spending and bigger government.

Other positions: Solomon listed his positions as pro-life, pro-family, and pro-national and border security on his issues page.

The general election is Nov. 3, 2026. Voters can find more about Solomon's platform at maxsolomon.info.