A Democrat with a Twist

Adam’s Senate Plan Builds Restoration of Compliance With The Constitution, Restore Benefits That Will Be Taken in November 2026.

Hi, I’m Adam Delgado!

From the early age of 18 years old, I dedicated my life to public service. I served in the Air Force and the Reserves from 1983 until 2014. From there, I furthered my service as a Chicago police officer for nine years and later served as a Federal Agent for 20 years.

My stand for democracy and people’s security spans 38 years. Although I was very happy with my retirement in 2022, my conscience will not allow me to stand by and watch as our country disintegrates before our very eyes. So, I decided to come out of retirement and try to enter back into public service to represent the people of the great state of Illinois. When I am speaking, I realize there are a lot of people listening and these people have a diverse understanding of the issues and history, so I have to ensure we all are on the same page of music. So, if I say something obvious to you, it may not be common knowledge to someone else. When I was putting together designs for challenge coins and coffee mugs for ATF Chicago, I heard feedback from our offices in central and southern Illinois that they felt left out with the design. That was a lesson learned that the people outside of the Chicago metro offices need to feel included. I grew up in western IL and my final years in the reserves were spent at Scott Air Force Base. I have spent a lot of time on Interstates 55 and 57 so I am aware there is a lot more to Illinois outside of Chicago.

I know the agriculture business in Illinois greatly contributes to the financial sustainability of Illinois and helps to feed the world. I even detasseled corn as a teen for three summers. I know there is an imaginary line that cuts across Illinois around Springfield and that is the dividing line between Cardinal nation and our Chicago teams. I want to be a senator for all of Illinois, not just Chicago. I have stood up to gang members in Chicago, investigated terrorism around the world, responded to the Capitol insurrection on January 6 to assist in the defense of our democracy, and I fought for justice around the country! Out of all of my government service, I have never been prouder of my fellow law-enforcement officers and myself than what I am for standing up for our democracy on January 6th. Not to eclipse September 11th, 2001, it was also one of the saddest days in my military and law-enforcement career. Like so many in our country who have honorably served, I have rightly earned VA and Social Security benefits. I must say, it is BS that our current President, whom I consider a draft dodger-authoritarian along with his enablers, has taken away so many benefits that hard-working Americans have paid into and worked for! I know there are a lot of problems within our federal, state, and local governments. My wife and I have been through hard times and good times but we are blessed. I don’t need this job for the paycheck or my ego. As a federal whistleblower, I know where to look for the problems and I am aligned with whistleblowers who have reached out to me over the years telling me how these problems still exist. I want to fix what’s wrong within our government but I also want to make the majority of federal employees whole, that were unlawfully terminated. We need to hold government officials accountable for their unlawful conduct since January 2025. In the past, some Americans were impatient and voted out a candidate who was repairing the damage done by Trump. As voting Americans, we need to recognize the tricks that are being played to keep good people out of government and recognize the tricks that undermine good Senators in office. I want to restore the benefits that so many have lost under the current administration. There is only one way that we can do that… that’s if you vote for me as US Senator for Illinois and for our fellow Americans vote blue around the country! We need a total of 60 senators to vote with the Democrats and we need to take back the House so that we can restore the power of the legislative branch! If we don’t do that, you can only expect our situation to worsen. I am ready…we are ready…to fight for your rights and benefits, but you need to do your part and vote in every election. If we, as candidates, can put our peace and security on the line…the least you can do is vote for the party that has tried to make your life better! I love the quote from one of our great presidents, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” JFK inspired millions with the ideas he put forward and President Johnson signed into law; he made life better for millions of Americans. Therefore, we cannot allow hate and racism to destroy our democracy! If elected, my 1st proposal will begin with the thing that initially stirred my soul. As a federal agent, I had to go through a stringent background investigation and take a polygraph examination in order to get the job and have access to classified information. I propose that we amend the Constitution so that any nominee for President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, and President Pro Tempore of the Senate go through the same process as ATF, DEA, and FBI special agent applicants so that we never have a convicted criminal in the White House or in the line of succession ever again! I am asking you to trust me to serve you in Washington, DC.

I was born in IL and I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We still have family in IL and we are frequently back in Chicago. Like our current Illinois politicians who live in the Washington, DC metro area, my wife and I live in Maryland because of her job. We need to ensure our elderly and disabled citizens get their Social Security and/or VA benefits, so they can live their golden years in peace. When I see Americans losing benefits, I will throw my orange and blue towel to signal a BS foul. I am Adam Delgado and I am starting the No BS Tour today! Please join me in restoring our nation to the basics of the US Constitution because we have lost our fundamental rights and our good standing in the world. We need to stop the trend of Americans failing Americans! Thank you for your time and God Bless America!

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Man in suit smiling with U.S. Capitol lit up at night behind him.

A Vision for America’s Future

Adam Delgado’s campaign for the U.S. Senate stands for thoughtful reform, pragmatic solutions, and a genuine commitment to the people. His mission is rooted in the belief that strong leadership begins with listening and acting in the interest of all Americans.

Adam’s Policy Commitments

Adam Delgado is committed to practical, people-first solutions that protect rights, improve lives, and hold our leaders accountable. His platform includes:

Smart, Fair Immigration Policy

Supporting controlled immigration that balances compassion with security.

Fiscal Responsibility

Committed to meaningful debt reduction to safeguard our nation’s economic future.

Protecting Reproductive Rights

Standing firmly Pro-Choice to ensure women retain autonomy over their healthcare decisions.

Ending Harmful Trade Barriers

Stopping most tariffs that raise prices for American families.

Preserving Essential Benefits

Protecting Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and VA benefits from cuts or privatization.

Promoting Peace Abroad

Advocating for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

Accountability in Government

Ensuring public officials are held to the highest ethical and security standards.

Stronger Vetting for Leadership

Amending the Constitution so nominees for President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, and Senate President Pro Tempore—along with cabinet-level appointees and ambassadors—must pass the same background investigations and polygraph standards required of ATF, DEA, and FBI Special Agent applicants.

Responsible Handling of Classified Information

Enforcing strict adherence to security protocols at all levels of government.

Judicial Reform

Establishing Supreme Court term limits, ethics reforms, and clear accountability measures.

Protecting Whistleblowers & Federal Workers

Ensuring whistleblowers and unlawfully terminated federal employees are restored and compensated fairly.

Adam believes these goals are only achievable if a majority of Americans vote blue in 2026 to break the gridlock and make Congress work for the people—not the billionaire class. This election is bigger than any one candidate. Over recent years, we’ve seen a GOP-led Congress rubber-stamp nearly everything Donald Trump has demanded. If you want change, it starts with your vote.

Turning Priorities into Progress

The campaign focuses on addressing issues that matter most to voters:

Adam grew up in a hardworking, lower-income household where resources were limited, but values were strong. His upbringing taught him discipline, the value of hard work, and the importance of family and community.

I view immigration the same way I view water—essential for all life. Too much can be destructive, as seen in hurricanes and floods. Too little can be equally damaging, as wildfires across the U.S. and Canada have shown.

My grandparents immigrated from Mexico in the early 1900s, seeking opportunity and a better life for their children. My parents were born in the U.S. My father endured the Great Depression and served in Germany at the end of World War II. My mother raised eight children on my father’s union wages from Northwestern Steel and Wire. We were not wealthy, but we always had love, discipline, healthcare, a roof over our heads, food to eat, and an education. Some of us earned bachelor’s or master’s degrees.

Every man in our family has served in the U.S. military, except one who served with the Chicago Police Department. We have given back to this country.

In 2024, a bipartisan immigration deal was ready, but Trump told the GOP not to pass it so he could use immigration as an election issue. Now, we all live with the resulting chaos. Every day, we see federal agents and some local police violate constitutional rights—detaining people based on appearance, deporting without due process, and even imprisoning U.S. citizens or legal residents abroad. This is unacceptable. The government must follow the law, just as citizens are expected to.

I watched 60 Minutes in 2024 and saw a steady stream of people crossing through a hole in the border fence. That’s not acceptable either. We need real immigration reform—laws applied equally and fairly. Many jobs go unfilled because Americans either refuse manual labor or lack technical skills. We are short on police officers, military personnel, healthcare workers, air traffic controllers, and more. Americans need to step up and fill these roles.

My wife, Grace, had a similar upbringing. Her father immigrated from Mexico as a teenager, and her parents raised eight children through hard work. Grace and I have shared good and hard times over our 30 years together. We both served with the Chicago Police Department and were members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7. We believe in working hard, enjoying the fruits of that labor, and ensuring future generations step up to strengthen and stabilize our country.

As a former police officer, I’ve wondered why so many in law enforcement vote GOP. Common responses are that immigrants “milk” social benefits or strain public resources. I remind them that laziness is not exclusive to immigrants—I’ve seen plenty of Americans with jobs who do nothing during their shifts. In the Chicago PD, promotions and assignments didn’t always go to the best candidates, and some supervisors avoided enforcing standards. The federal government wasn’t much different. What we need is for all Americans to raise their standards, so our existing workforce can achieve more.

When something in our home needs fixing, we expect the repair company to vet their workers—to ensure they are trained, licensed, honest, and have no criminal history. We want to feel safe letting them into our home, confident they won’t harm us or steal from us, and we expect to be charged a fair price.

So why would we put someone with a criminal record, a history of losing major civil cases, and loyalty only to themselves and their family in the White House? Why would we trust such a person with our lives, our healthcare, our benefits, our finances, our country, or our future?

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Adam Understands Hard Times

When I decided to get out of the active-duty Air Force in 1987, I was going to the community college near Travis Air Force Base in California. I wanted to see Europe before I separated so I requested a transfer to a remote location in Greece for one year. I reported to Greece in August 1987 and had a great time. I enrolled in college in Champaign in 1988 with the goal of graduating as soon as possible so I could apply to become an FBI Agent. I graduated in August 1991 but there was a federal hiring freeze going on so I was frustrated. In 1992, I enrolled in graduate school at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), and although I had my VA benefits and the Illinois Veterans Grant, I was just getting by. I remember riding the CTA train to the Halsted stop for UIC. 

A panhandler got on the train and sat three rows ahead of me. He then emptied his coffee can of coins onto the plastic CTA seat. It sounded as if he won the jackpot in a Las Vegas slot machine. I had my CTA card and two dollars in my pocket, and I thought to myself, ain’t that a b$%#@? I was a veteran, and I had a bachelor’s degree but this guy had more money than me. I was frustrated, but I knew if I stayed on the course, I would eventually live more comfortably. The woman that I was dating at the time even told me that, “You don’t have s*&^.” I frequently tell young people this story because there will be hard times but eventually you will get to where you want to be if you stay on course with hard work.

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