How Glen Ellyn Democrats differ in primary race for state House seat

Illinois voters in November 2020 turned down a constitutional amendment that would have paved the way for Gov. JB Pritzker’s graduated income tax rate plan.

DuPage County Board member Lynn LaPlante says it’s time to revisit it to address “key issues of affordability.” Illinois is one of the few states with a flat income tax system.

“I think we are at the point in our state and what's going on right now financially where that definitely needs to be brought up again,” said LaPlante, who is vying for the Democratic nomination in the 42nd Illinois House District.

Her primary opponent, Margaret DeLaRosa, was appointed to the seat by DuPage Democratic leaders in October 2025 after Terra Costa Howard resigned to become a county judge.

“We can't just have a fair tax. We have to have a larger discussion on our tax policy,” DeLaRosa responded during a Daily Herald joint interview.

Both candidates are Glen Ellyn Democrats with some name recognition. DeLaRosa has been on the Glenbard High School District 87 board since 2015.

“We realize at the state level that we are not funding education adequately. We have EBF,” DeLaRosa said, referring to the evidence-based school funding program. “It's doing what it's supposed to do, but it also needs a new influx of money.”

She said she believes in a “fair tax system.”

“What that looks like as we move forward, I think, is going to be a combination of the people in the room making those decisions and looking at the data and what we see for Illinois, because our budget should reflect what our priorities are, and education should be right up there with health care,” DeLaRosa said.

The candidates have also sought to distinguish themselves on style and party cred. In the 2018 election, LaPlante came within 7,314 votes of unseating Republican incumbent Dan Cronin as county board chair. Democrats would take control of the county board two years later.

“We need battle-tested, proven leadership. My passion for public service has been apparent since I first ran in 2018. I have run in every single cycle. I wasn't waiting till something was handed to me,” said LaPlante, whose current board term doesn’t expire until 2028. “I didn't ask for permission. I did it.”

LaPlante portrays herself as a “bold voice.”

“We’ve got to push back against the Trump agenda,” she said.

LaPlante asserts U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “beyond reform” and repeats the Democratic rallying cry to “abolish” ICE.

“We have to do anything that's going to strengthen these protections around our most vulnerable community members,” LaPlante said. “They're terrified.”

Pritzker in December signed House Bill 1312, which, among other things, allows for civil legal action against an agent who “knowingly engages in conduct that violates” the state or U.S. Constitution during civil immigration enforcement. A member of the Latino caucus, DeLaRosa said she was part of the group that “put the language around the bill.”

She has called it a period of “federal overreach.”

“Our priority is to protect Illinois residents,” DeLaRosa said at a League of Women Voters forum. “It is going to become the overwhelming priority as we move forward.”

DeLaRosa, a past Glen Ellyn League president, campaigns as the “incumbent state representative,” while LaPlante says it’s an open seat.

“I believe in collaborative leadership, fiscal discipline and delivering results. That's what I've done,” said DeLaRosa, who holds an accounting degree.

The winner will meet Republican Stephanie Trussell in the November general election. Trussell was Darren Bailey’s running mate when he campaigned for governor in 2022.