Senate District 27: Murphy

The race in the 27th Illinois Senate District comes down to a choice between two good candidates, Republican incumbent Matt Murphy of Palatine and Democrat David Page of Arlington Heights. Murphy, first elected in 2006, has become one of the GOP’s strongest warriors against waste and one of its most innovative architects of pension reform and budget accountability. Page, school board president in Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 and a financial adviser, presents an intriguing candidacy that also focuses on resolving the state’s pension and spending problems. We like his genuine resolve and seeming independence, but he is playing to Murphy’s strong suit and without substantial differentiation. Our choice is Matt Murphy. Ambitious and energetic, he’s a sharp and articulate legislator who has earned re-election. We disagree with how strongly he tilts right on social issues, but the most pressing issue facing the state today is its near bankruptcy, and Murphy’s approach on that is visionary and vital. The 27th District takes in a large swath of Northwest Cook County including parts of Arlington Heights, Barrington, Des Plaines, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Prospect Heights, Rolling Meadows and South Barrington.