State House District 51: Riess

We're impressed with both candidates running for state representative in Illinois House District 51, which takes in a sizable portion of central and southwestern Lake County.

Incumbent Republican Ed Sullivan Jr. of Mundelein is a fiscal conservative with good ideas for reigning in the state's inflated spending and a necessary focus on job creation.

However, he also is Fremont Township assessor and has no plans to give up that post. We have long opposed double-dipping by elected officials and therefore cannot endorse Sullivan.

Luckily, his opponent, Democrat Steve Riess, is a strong candidate with a record on the Hawthorn Woods village board for fiscal restraint and common sense. He doesn't shy away from speaking out when needed and is a strong advocate for small business.

As a legislator, his priority would be to cut the state's spending, which he describes as a “crisis."

We endorse Riess.