Dan Proft

Proft was born in 1972 in Oak Park, Illinois. He was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, and attended Benet Academy in Lisle. He graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. and attended Loyola University Chicago School of Law at night and earned Juris Doctor degree.{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/Felsenthal-Files/April-2013/Would-Dan-Proft-Really-Give-Up-His-Radio-Gig-to-Run-for-Governor/|title=Would Dan Proft Really Run for Governor Again?|last=Felsenthal|first=Carol|date=2013-04-09|work=Chicago magazine|access-date=2017-12-19|language=en}} At Northwestern, Proft co-founded the Northwestern Chronicle, an independent campus newspaper.{{cite web|title=About Dan Proft|url=http://www.proft2010.com/news-room/contentview.asp?c=188741|work=Dan Proft for Governor|accessdate=29 April 2014}} He also ran a conservative speakers bureau.

Proft is a radio talk show host with AM 560 The Answer in Chicago where he co-hosts the morning drive show with Amy Jacobson. He voices a political commentary, "Sixty Seconds of Sanity" on the Salem Radio Network.

Dan Proft co-hosts the morning drive show from 5 to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday on AM 560 The Answer in Chicago.{{cite web|url=http://www.560theanswer.com/ |title=AM 560 The Answer - News. Opinion. Insight |website=560theanswer.com |accessdate=2016-03-29}}

From 2011 to 2015, Proft was a political commentator for WLS-AM 890 radio in Chicago. From 2014-2015, he shared a weekday show from 5 to 9 a.m. with Bruce Wolf. After his contract expired, he moved to AM 560 WIND. He has also appeared on Chicago television including ABC 7 Chicago and Fox Chicago and his commentary has been featured on national outlets including Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and CNBC.

Additionally, Proft runs Upstream Ideas, a media group that runs a series of web and radio-based programs where Proft discusses regional and national politics and policy.{{Cite web|url=http://upstream-ideas.com|title=Home|website=Upstream Ideas|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-07}}

On August 8, 2018, Proft interviewed former White House Communication Director and Press Secretary Sean Spicer about his "tempestuous time in President Trump’s White House."{{Cite news|url=https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/511526076-spicer-talks-to-proft-about-his-turbulent-tenure-in-the-trump-administration|title=CORRECTED: Spicer Talks to Proft About His Turbulent Tenure in the Trump Administration|date=2018-08-09|work=Chicago City Wire|access-date=2018-08-10|language=en}} The interview was filmed for Proft's interview series Against the Current on the digital platform Upstream Ideas. On June 2nd, 2023, he interviewed the Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy. This was one day before President Biden signed the Fiscal Responsibility Act, legislation lifting the debt ceiling, that originated out of the House.{{Cite news |last=Ewing |first=Giselle |date=2023-06-23 |title=Biden signs debt ceiling bill |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/03/biden-signs-debt-ceiling-bill-00100093 |access-date=2024-09-26 |work=Politico}}

Proft is a co-founder of the Illinois Opportunity Project, a 501(c)(4) organization that promotes free-market public policy solutions.{{cite web |url=http://illinoisopportunity.org/the-project/#Dan%20Proft |title=The Project |website=Illinoisopportunity.org |accessdate=2016-03-29 |archive-date=2016-03-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331121458/http://illinoisopportunity.org/the-project/#Dan%20Proft |url-status=dead }}

After helping Cicero, Illinois' town president win a close election, Proft received no-bid contracts worth $578,000 a year to serve as the spokesman for the town and two local school districts. The town also agreed to pay the company another $308,000 a year to promote the new Municipal Complex. Cicero spent nearly double what even much larger suburban communities spend on public relations.{{Cite news|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-09-25/news/0809242317_1_town-pacts-school-districts|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112170112/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-09-25/news/0809242317_1_town-pacts-school-districts|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 12, 2011|title=Cicero spokesman's firm got pacts worth $578,000 a year to promote town, school districts|work=tribunedigital-chicagotribune|access-date=2018-02-22|language=en}}

Proft served as the Chairman and Treasurer for Illinois Liberty Principles PAC, a Super PAC organized "to make independent expenditures in support of liberty oriented policies and candidates."{{cite web|title=Committee Details|url=http://www.elections.state.il.us/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeDetailOfficers.aspx?id=24614|website=Illinois State Board of Elections|accessdate=15 July 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720113710/http://www.elections.state.il.us/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeDetailOfficers.aspx?id=24614|archive-date=20 July 2014}} The PAC received criticism after it sent political mailings in newspaper form to voters ahead of the 2016 primary elections, publishing eight separate periodic mailings.{{cite web | last1=Dahlstrom | first1=Katie | title=PAC-Funded Newspaper Hits McHenry County Homes | url=http://www.nwherald.com/2016/02/19/pac-funded-newspaper-hits-mchenry-county-homes/arlax9p/ | date=February 19, 2016 | publisher=Northwest Herald | accessdate=March 24, 2016 | archive-date=March 21, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321062244/http://www.nwherald.com/2016/02/19/pac-funded-newspaper-hits-mchenry-county-homes/arlax9p/ | url-status=dead }}{{cite web | last1=Dahlstrom | first1=Katie | title=State Board of Elections Rules on McHenry Times, Liberty Principles Complaint | url=http://www.nwherald.com/2016/03/24/state-board-of-elections-rules-on-mchenry-times-liberty-principles-complaint/aahlp5f/ | date=March 24, 2016 | publisher=Northwest Herald | accessdate=March 24, 2016}} Illinois's State Board of Elections rejected claims against Liberty PAC for alleged violations of campaign finance law, but its funding of Metric Media's pseudo news site articles was required to be disclosed.{{Cite web |title=As Local News Dies, a Pay-for-Play Network Rises in Its Place |author1=Davey Alba|author-link1=Davey Alba |author2=Jack Nicas |work=The New York Times |date=18 October 2020 |access-date=2 March 2021 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/18/technology/timpone-local-news-metric-media.html}}

Proft is also on the board of Truth in Accounting, a nonprofit dedicated to accurate public sector accounting and budgeting.

Prior to his campaign for Governor, Proft was a Republican consultant working on numerous political campaigns and served in various leadership capacities in state and municipal government.

Proft has faced criticism for emails he sent to Tea Party groups in Illinois.{{Cite news|url=https://illinoiscitizensforethicsreform.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/bullying-women-new-leaked-emails-from-cicero-dan-proft/|title=BULLYING WOMEN: NEW LEAKED EMAILS FROM CICERO DAN PROFT|date=2012-05-02|work=Illinois Citizens Against Corruption|access-date=2018-02-22|language=en-US}}

On July 11, 2016, the Chicago Tribune published an op-ed written by Proft concerning the 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers. In the article, he criticized the media's coverage of both the Dallas shootings and the shootings of black men by police officers. He wrote that "There is plenty of intellectual room between 'cops can do no wrong' and 'cops are all racists waging war against minorities.' The reasoned room in between is occupied by most of the Americans who are not on television, radio or Twitter."{{Cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-dallas-police-important-conversation-proft-perspec-0712-md-20160711-story.html|title=How to (really) achieve the 'important conversation'|last=Proft|first=Dan|date=2016-07-11|website=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2016-07-13}}

Proft supported the candidacy of Jeanne Ives in her primary campaign against incumbent Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner. At a campaign appearance in January 2018, Ives thanked Proft and said, "By far, Dan is one of the most engaging radio host, providing a daily dose of morning entertainment."{{Cite news|url=https://rockislandtoday.com/stories/511316953-ives-thanks-rauner-for-fueling-her-bid-to-become-governor|title=Ives thanks Rauner for fueling her bid to become governor|date=2015-01-18|work=Rock Island Today|access-date=2018-01-18|language=en}} In February 2018, Ives ran a controversial TV ad called "Thank you, Bruce Rauner" that "created a firestorm in the March Republican Primary for governor." In the ad, she attacked Governor Bruce Rauner over his policy decisions on abortion, transgender rights, and immigration. Proft defended the TV ad, saying, "Not everybody's tone or sensibility is the same, so people are going to take things differently. But in terms of the veracity of the statements in the ad and the representations, the characterizations of issues and issue positions the governor has taken, that's all factual."{{cite web |url=https://abc7chicago.com/jeanne-ives-ad-thank-you-controversial/3039035/ |title=Jeanne Ives defends controversial ad: 'What's so offensive?' |date=February 5, 2018 |work=ABC7 Chicago

|access-date=2022-11-03 |first=Craig |last=Wall |language=en-US}}

Proft also serves on the board of directors for USO of Illinois, a nonprofit that provides assistance to Illinois military families and Aid for Women, a Catholic pregnancy center in Chicago.{{cite web|url=http://www.illinoispolicy.org/member/dan-proft/|title=Dan Proft- Illinois Policy Institute|work=Illinois Policy Institute|accessdate=29 April 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://disabledpatriotfund.com/boardofdirectors.php|title=The Disabled Patriot Fund All Volunteer Board|work=Disabled Patriod Fund|accessdate=29 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430013134/http://disabledpatriotfund.com/boardofdirectors.php|archive-date=30 April 2014|url-status=usurped}}{{cite web|url=http://www.helpaidforwomen.org/about/board-members|title=Board Members|work=Aid for Women|accessdate=29 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429231407/http://www.helpaidforwomen.org/about/board-members|archive-date=29 April 2014|url-status=dead}} He is also on the Advisory Board of the Center for Civic Leadership at Benedictine University. He was on the board of disability advocacy group Envision Unlimited until he was removed after mocking the teenage son of Tim Walz and his emotional reaction to his father's speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.{{Cite news |last=McDougall |first=A. J. |date=2024-08-27 |title=Right-Wing Radio Hosts in Chicago Under Fire for Mocking Gus Walz |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/right-wing-radio-hosts-in-chicago-under-fire-for-mocking-gus-walz-after-dnc |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=The Daily Beast |language=en}}

{{See also|2010 Illinois gubernatorial election}}

On June 23, 2009, Proft announced his candidacy for Governor of Illinois on the "Don Wade & Roma Show" on WLS (AM). The tagline of Proft's campaign was "Illinois isn't broken. It's fixed,"{{cite web|last1=Proft|first1=Dan|title=Campaign Announcement|url=http://proft2010.com/article1.asp|website=Proft2010.com}} signifying Illinois' government is set up to serve the politicians in power, not the people. He called for "policy revolution"{{cite news|last1=Horrell|first1=Steve|title=Home News Proft promises to slice income tax|url=http://www.theintelligencer.com/local_news/article_b9f3a4aa-b6b9-526d-9739-29e869e93988.html|publisher=The Intelligencer|date=12 April 2009}} to slice state personal and corporate income taxes in half and abolish the estate tax, to freeze spending and only allow it to increase based on inflation and population growth, and to implement a statewide opportunity scholarship program.

Proft earned 7.78% of the vote, coming in sixth in a seven-way Republican primary race.{{cite news|url=http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/results/primaries/illinois

|title=2010 Gubernatorial Election Results|newspaper=The New York Times|date=2010-02-05 |accessdate=2010-02-05}} He later told Chicago Magazine that the worst part of running for office was raising money. He self-financed his campaign for $125,285.

Proft is a practicing Catholic. He lives in Naples, Florida.{{Cite web |title=Democratic Governors Association launches ad seeking to boost Darren Bailey in GOP primary |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/elections/ct-illinois-governors-race-ads-20220513-73opc5zgqbdm5nxrervb3qdniu-story.html |access-date=2022-07-05 |website=Chicago Tribune}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090801151056/http://www.proft2010.com/ Proft For Governor]
• [http://illinoisopportunity.org/the-project/#Dan%20Proft Illinois Opportunity Project] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714180151/http://illinoisopportunity.org/the-project/#Dan%20Proft |date=2014-07-14 }}

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Category:1972 births

Category:American newspaper founders

Category:Illinois Republicans

Category:Living people

Category:Loyola University Chicago School of Law alumni

Category:Northwestern University alumni

Category:People from Wheaton, Illinois

Category:Politicians from Chicago

Category:Radio personalities from Illinois

Category:Journalists from Illinois