Endorsement: Krishnamoorthi for 8th Congressional District

With Tammy Duckworth running for U.S. Senate, we can now unreservedly endorse Raja Krishnamoorthi for the congressional seat she currently holds, for which he challenged her four years ago.

Krishnamoorthi has a breadth and depth of experience that his current challenger cannot match.

Businessman and former Elmhurst Mayor Pete DiCianni is to be lauded for having initiated legislation that brought insurance coverage to Illinoisans whose children have been diagnosed with autism, a law that has spread across the country. Even so, Krishnamoorthi has broader significant experience in both the public and private sector.

Krishnamoorthi, of Schaumburg, is a former deputy state treasurer and has been involved in the state's technology venture capital fund, served in the public integrity unit of the state attorney general's office and led the audit committee of the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

Add to those accomplishments his oversight of two high-tech companies, his boosterism of solar energy and his degrees in engineering from Princeton and law from Harvard.

He speaks passionately and knowledgeably on a variety of issues but at the same time is approachable and genial.

We saw Krishnamoorthi's claws come out during a feisty editorial board interview with DiCianni, and we would encourage him to return to the calm demeanor that earned him our respect in the first place. Should he make it to Congress, we also encourage him to be - and we are confident he will be - someone who will listen and work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Krishnamoorthi is endorsed.

The 8th Congressional District includes a swath of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties, from Arlington Heights on the north to Lombard on the south and Elgin on the west.