Daily Herald endorsement: Melissa Bean in 8th District Democratic primary

Voters pulling a Democratic ballot in the 8th congressional district primary will confront a sea of names: Eight candidates are vying to succeed Raja Krishnamoorthi as he runs for a U.S. Senate seat.

The number itself is not surprising. An open seat is more tempting than one held by an incumbent who’s easily fought off challengers for a decade. What is surprising — wonderfully so — is how impressive this diverse field of eight candidates is, from a past three-term congresswoman to enthusiastic young newcomers.

Candidates in the suburban district — which takes in parts of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties — range from Melissa Bean, a Barrington resident who held the seat from 2005 to 2011, to Ryan Vetticad, a 24-year-old South Barrington progressive whose early start and energy bode well for a future in politics.

Also running are Junaid Ahmed of South Barrington, Yasmeen Bankole of Hanover Park, Sanjyot Dunung of Des Plaines, Neil Khot of Hoffman Estates, Kevin Morrison of Mount Prospect and Dan Tully of Carol Stream. Standouts include Morrison, a lawyer and Cook County commissioner who has been highly visible even outside his public office; Bankole, a Hanover Park trustee who worked as regional director for Sen. Dick Durbin; and Dunung, a businesswoman whose resume includes serving on former President Joe Biden’s Foreign Policy Working Group. In other words, voters have strong choices.

But we believe Bean’s experience in Congress gives her a leg up in navigating the complexities of today’s divisive and difficult political climate. She’s a centrist, one who defends her views with passion but also tempers them with realism. In endorsing her in the past, we hailed her as “a solutions-oriented, cost-conscious Blue Dog Democrat” and noted her independence as someone who was willing to break with her party. Years later, she is firm in her resolve to help Congress reclaim its power against presidential overreach. We would like to see her get that chance.

Melissa Bean earns our endorsement.