Eric S. Reyes

Eric Steven Reyes (born January 15, 1979 in Rock Island, Illinois) is an Independent Party candidate for the United States Congress in Illinois's 17th congressional district.

Early life and education
Eric Reyes was born to Sandra and David Reyes, the first-generation American son of a janitor and data entry clerk. He grew up in Rock Island, Illinois with his brother and sister.

Reyes attended Lincoln Elementary, Audubon Elementary, Washington Junior High School, and Rock Island High School, graduating in 1997.

Reyes graduated from Augustana College, in Rock Island, Illinois, with B.A.s in Political Science and Philosophy. During his time in college, Reyes was an active student leader, holding positions in a variety of clubs and organizations such as: Multicultural Programming Board, Multicultural Coalition, Enhanced Cultural Curriculum Committee, Latinos Unidos, and Gamma Alpha Beta, and he was the first ever Multicultural Representative to the Student Government Association. Reyes was also a founding member of the College Democrats of Augustana. He was elected President of this organization during his senior year, and during his tenure, the organization saw an increase in membership of over one thousand percent. Throughout his time at Augustana, Reyes volunteered 20–30 hours per week at the Boys & Girls Club (He was honored to be recognized as Volunteer of the Month in the local paper for his work there) and worked full time.

Reyes earned his Juris Doctorate from Northern Illinois University College of Law, focusing his studies on Constitutional Law. In his spare time, he was involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. During this time Reyes enlisted in the Military but was badly injured in Boot Camp and was unable to continue.

Career
During his time in law school, Reyes became involved in Barack Obama's U.S. Senate campaign and was hired to be the Northern Illinois County Organizer. He ran the campaign in Boone, Lee, Ogle, DeKalb, and Kendall Counties. The proximity of these counties to Winnebago County, led to his working a great deal in Rockford as well.

After law school, Reyes opened his own law office and practiced primarily Family Law. He was also retained by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 145 who he helped with union contract enforcement and the preservation and restoration of collective bargaining power.

Reyes became an Assistant State's Attorney for Rock Island County in 2008. Reyes was designated the Domestic Violence Prosecutor, and the prosecution protocol he instituted led to a dramatic improvement in the percentage of successful prosecutions for domestic battery, as well as a drop in arrests for such incidents. Due to his record in that division, Reyes was then designated as the county's first ever Gang & Organized-Crime Prosecutor. He worked with all local, state, and federal authorities to attempt to stem the tide of gang violence.

In 2010, Reyes accepted a position as Partner with the firm VanDerGinst Law, P.C., making him one of the youngest partners at a law firm in the area at the age of 31.

Reyes returned to private practice in 2011, focusing his practice on Criminal, Family, and Immigration Law. It was during this period that he announced his candidacy for the U.S. Congress in the Illinois 17th Congressional District.