Endorsement: U.S. House, District 9 Jan Schakowsky

In her 25 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrat Jan Schakowsky of Evanston has easily fended off a long list of election challengers, often by wide margins.

Her opponent this time for the 9th District seat is Republican Seth Cohen, a 27-year-old Marine veteran with vastly different views from Schakowsky on gun control, the Middle East and a number of other issues. Cohen, who grew up in Buffalo Grove but now lives in Chicago, brings a lot of energy to the race, but he lacks the insight and experience of his opponent. And his refusal to bring clarity to his stance on abortion, a major issue in this election, concerns us.

When asked about abortion, Cohen said he believed the issue belonged with the states. As for a national ban, he said he would vote no, citing federalism. But he refused to share his personal position on abortion, arguing that he would answer questions about “policy, not about personal beliefs” and that his beliefs were not pertinent to the race. In the abortion issue, however, personal beliefs are informing policy, and voters deserve to know where their candidates stand. Schakowsky has made her pro-choice views well known.

On foreign policy, the two candidates both express support for Israel, but Schakowsky favors a two-state solution while Cohen says the region would be better off with just an Israeli state. He admits, however, he does not know how that would work.

Schakowsky, now 80, still has the passion and fire needed for the job. She has deep knowledge in both domestic matters and foreign policy. Unlike her opponent, she advocates for needed gun control legislation, including a ban on assault weapons and universal background checks. While at times we have worried that she is too liberal, we have always been impressed by her strength and how seriously she takes her responsibility to her constituents in the 9th District, which includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.

Schakowsky is endorsed.