Endorsement: McAuliffe over Randazzo in 20th District

McAuliffe for 20th House

The race for the 20th House District, which includes portions of Rosemont and Des Plaines and extends east into Chicago, pits incumbent Republican Michael McAuliffe against Chicago water department worker and Democrat Bruce Randazzo, both of whom live in Chicago. The pair agree on several points: They support a conceal/carry law, the death penalty, campaign contribution limits and not shifting the burden of pension obligations onto school districts. But Randazzo supports gay marriage and term limits for representatives as well as party leadership, while McAuliffe does not. McAuliffe would vote to keep Tom Cross in power, but Randazzo said he would opt to replace House Speaker Michael Madigan. What truly separates the candidates is experience and a clear understanding of the role of a state representative. Randazzo’s No. 1 campaign issue is to reduce property taxes, which is not a role of the General Assembly. When quizzed on it, he said he would be an advocate for it with local taxing bodies. Randazzo’s concerns would be better addressed with a run for local office. McAuliffe is endorsed.