Our choices for Illinois House
Today we present endorsements in five Illinois House primary races in the Chicago area, with more to come this week. The Illinois primary will be held on March 17. Expanded early voting at satellite facilities begins March 2. To find the location of early voting sites, go to cookcountyclerk.com/agency/early-voting. To learn more about primary candidates and read our earlier endorsements, please go to election.suntimes.com/voting-guide/2020.
Aarón Ortíz in 1st District Democratic primary
Six years ago, Illinois lawmakers made a mistake by disqualifying immigrants who are not American citizens from holding the student trustee position at University of Illinois campuses.
State Rep. Aarón Ortíz helped fix it. The rookie lawmaker was chief sponsor of a bill signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last year to once again allow these students to run for the position. The district has a large immigrant population, and their needs are top of mind for Ortíz.
Ortíz is a former local school council member and college and career coach at Back of the Yards College Prep. Given his background in education, it’s not surprising he managed to direct $900,000 from last year’s capital bill to Curie High School in Archer Heights to pay for building improvements. Other schools in his district also benefited from the bill.
Long-term, Ortíz has the makings of an effective legislator. He is endorsed.
We question the judgment of his challenger, Alicia Elena Martinez, who came up in the ward organization of longtime Ald. Ed Burke (14th). Burke is facing federal corruption charges, but that didn’t stop Martinez from campaigning for Burke in his aldermanic race last year.
Ortíz defeated Burke’s brother, Dan, two years ago in the Democratic primary for this state representative seat.
Theresa Mah in 2nd District Democratic primary
After former Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed her bill two years ago to protect immigrants from bully landlords who threaten to call federal authorities over their immigration status, state Rep. Theresa Mah stuck with it. She pushed the bill again last year, and it was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
It was a significant protection for the Pilsen and Chinatown immigrant neighborhoods that Mah represents.
Mah is endorsed for a third term because she works diligently on behalf of underserved communities. She teamed with state Sen. Ram Villivalam last year to amend the Illinois Act on Aging to explicitly prohibit discrimination of LGBTQ folks in assisted or shared living facilities. Older LGBTQ folks and older adults with HIV also were designated as populations of “greatest social need” for programs for aging adults.
Our one hope is that Mah will work on her delivery as a public speaker.
Also running are retired research technician Kenneth M. Kozlar and lawyer Bobby Martinez Olson.
Lakesia Collins in 9th District Democratic Primary
Union organizer Lakesia Collins has the potential to be an effective voice in Springfield for the issues she cares about, which include affordable housing, protecting collective bargaining rights, reducing gun violence and fighting for better access to health care.
These are, to be sure, boilerplate issues among Democratic office-seekers in Illinois, but Collins has demonstrated an ability to get things done. Most notably, as a Service Employees International Union Healthcare organizer, she helped line up support in the Illinois Legislature for the successful passage of the state’s 2010 nursing home reform bill.
Collins is endorsed over six other Democratic candidates vying for this open seat. The union for which she works is among several labor organizations which have ownership in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Incumbent Art Turner II — who has held the office since taking it over from his father,
Art Turner Jr., in 2011 — is not seeking reelection.
Also running are Trina Mangrum, chief of staff to Ald. Jason Ervin (28th); political consultant Ty Cratic; businesswoman Sandra Schneller; Nicole Harvey, a director in U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis’ office; Cook County government employee Maurice Evans; and Aaron Turner, the incumbent’s brother. Harvey, Evans and Turner did not submit candidate questionnaires.
Gerard C. Moorer in 10th District Democratic primary
Our endorsement goes to Gerard C. Moorer, who has built a credible record of public service as an aide for 15 years to U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill.
We also like that he’s nobody’s favored stepson.
Moorer says his priorities in this wildly gerrymandered district, which includes both affluent and impoverished areas on the West and Northwest sides, would be mental health awareness, early childhood education and crime prevention. Moorer says that this last priority — working to bring down crime rates — has been a passion for him since his father was murdered when he, Moorer, was 11.
As for Moorer’s biggest opponent, we’re reluctant to endorse a candidate who was appointed to this seat last May in the Chicago way by the powers that be. State Rep. Jawaharial “Omar” Williams, who was handed the seat when Melissa Conyears-Ervin resigned to become city treasurer, is the stepson of Ald. Walter Burnett (27th), whose ward overlaps part of the district. Also running is Gina Zuccaro, an ally of Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), who is the husband of Conyears-Ervin. (We know. The family and organizational ties in this race are all over the place.) In the past, Zuccaro has worked elections for Conyears-Ervin and Ervin, filing petition challenges against their opponents. This time around, she’s operating a virtually invisible campaign.
For more information about this race and others, including questionnaires, go to elections. suntimes.com/voting-guide/2020/. Our newspaper is owned by a group of civic-minded and, in some cases, politically active investors; for details, see suntimes.com/owners.