Endorsement: Grasso in GOP primary for Congress from Dist. 6

This endorsement is a consensus opinion of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.

Six candidates are vying for the chance to represent Republicans in November for the 6th Congressional District. Three offer especially intriguing candidacies.

Niki Conforti, an energy consultant from Glen Ellyn; Keith Pekau, a small-business owner and Orland Park mayor; and Gary Grasso, an attorney and two-term Burr Ridge mayor with a long history of public service in DuPage County that includes two terms on the county board, all present the possibility for an engaging matchup against whoever wins the Democratic primary.

They proudly and steadfastly espouse traditional Republican values of limited government and controlled government spending. And, they offer reasonable and creative ideas on topics ranging from the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to climate change, foreign policy, health care and immigration.

We favor Grasso. In addition to especially thoughtful approaches on difficult issues, he also boasts a range of public experience that would serve him well as a U.S. congressman. Before moving to Burr Ridge, he served on the Thomas Ford Library Board in Western Springs. He also spent 12 years on the DuPage County Board of Health and worked on Burr Ridge's environmental quality commission before being elected a village trustee.

The depth and variety of these experiences suggest a background that will be valuable both in understanding the complexities of the issues facing Congress and in working effectively with members of both parties.

Rounding out the field are attorney and engineer Scott Kaspar of Orland Park; Catherine O'Shea an Oak Lawn real estate broker; and Rob Cruz, a general contractor from Oak Lawn. All offer various expressions of staunchly conservative positions that have little chance of energizing moderates or winning over Democrats who may be disenchanted with the current direction of the party.

Grasso, however, presents an especially promising opportunity to mount a challenging and constructive campaign in November. He is endorsed.