Endorsement: Banek for Lake County Coroner

It’s been a difficult four years to be the coroner in Lake County. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, growing overdose deaths and several high-profile mass homicides, the office’s work has been in the spotlight.

Incumbent Jennifer Banek, a Democrat from Green Oaks, faces a challenge from Mark Symonds, a Republican from Highland Park, in the Nov. 5 election.

First elected in 2020, Banek has worked to keep spending in check, including reducing overtime costs. She’s also created a online dashboard that allows the public to look at real-time data on homicides, suicides and overdoses in Lake County. She also has partnered with several groups to help grieving families.

Symonds is a director and co-owner of a funeral home. If elected, his priorities will be thorough and accurate death investigations, sympathy and compassion to families and community education to prevent avoidable deaths.

Both candidates have the kind of administrative experience that is vital to running the office. Both Banek and Symonds understand that part of the coroner’s job is more than just death investigations. It also involves working to residents to prevent deaths.

Banek has been tested over her first four years in office and has done more than enough to earn another term in office. She is endorsed.