Endorsement: Mussman over Moynihan in a close call
Michelle Mussman, the Democratic state representative from Schaumburg, is one of those kinds of candidates that you find yourself wanting to like - if only she can get out of the way of her own missteps. At a voters forum the other night, she was asked whom she would support for speaker of the house and she said that would depend on who the candidates are. Please. We realize that Michael Madigan's name is toxic to many suburban voters, but let's not stretch credulity. Let's be real. That's the lone doubt we have about Mussman, the sense that you're never quite sure whether you're hearing what she believes or what she thinks you believe. And admittedly, that does give us pause. But that said, Mussman has performed well, sometimes courageously, through two terms in the House, showing independence and resolve. We believe she is the kind of fiscally conservative, socially progressive legislator that suburban voters want. We endorse her in House District 56, which includes Schaumburg and parts of Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows and Roselle. It is a choice further complicated by the strength of Republican Jim Moynihan's candidacy. He is a worthy adversary, thoughtful and focused on the state economy. But Mussman deserves re-election.