Endorsements: Khan for House Dist. 20, Democrat

Mohammed "Mo" Khan, a Maine South High School graduate and Park Ridge resident, has been aggressively running for the Democratic nomination in the 20th state House District for months, doing so without help from the Democratic establishment.

At 28, it is Khan's first run for elected office. An accountant, he is a full-time law student at Loyola who worked for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2007-2008 and for Alexi Giannoulias' U.S. Senate campaign in 2009-10. In between Khan helped friends and colleagues form startup businesses, which leads directly to the reason he says he is running - job creation. He wants to help community colleges become small business incubators, among other ideas. For Democrats hoping to break Mike McAuliffe's grip on the 20th District, Khan is a young and energetic choice. McAuliffe, a moderate Republican and the son of former legislator Roger McAuliffe, has held the seat since 1997 with no challenge since 2004.

Khan's primary opponent is Jerry Acciari of Niles, a retired longtime Lincolnwood police officer who did not fill out a questionnaire and who the Daily Herald has not been able to contact.

Khan is endorsed.