Our endorsement: Biss for 9th District in Congress

For the first time in 28 years, Illinois' 9th U.S. House district will have new representation come January. Staunch progressive Jan Schakowsky, 82, of Evanston did not seek re-election after 14 terms in Congress. The choice before voters is between Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, a Democrat very much in the style of Schakowsky's reflexive liberalism, and Arlington Heights pastor John Elleson, a Republican who campaigns as a compassionate conservative in branding that echoes the days of George W. Bush.

Truth be told, we have wrung our hands a bit on this endorsement. We are sure that we would disagree with some of the positions Biss would take in office, much as we have with Schakowsky; their politics are further left than our own and than the suburban constituency in general. And we find Elleson to be a likable candidate with a well-meaning heart whose moderate and even unifying campaign positions offer some appeal.

But our endorsement goes to Biss. His leadership in Evanston has been energetic and in many ways, groundbreaking. He alone among the two candidates adequately recognizes the dangers posed by climate change and artificial intelligence. We agree with his view that the war with Iran was unnecessary. We support his suggestions to promote more affordable housing. We agree with his calls for stronger gun control and for bipartisan immigration reform. While we question his call to abolish ICE, we agree wholeheartedly that the agency is wildly overstaffed, incredibly undertrained and lacking in fundamental oversight and controls.

Elleson deserves credit for trying to call attention to the nation's spiraling national debt. It is an issue that does not get the focus it deserves. But his own party is largely responsible for that debt, and as thoughtful as his campaign messaging has been, we just are not convinced that when the time came for it, he would provide the checks on President Donald Trump that Congress needs to provide.

The 9th District boundaries snake almost 50 miles from the north side of Chicago through slices of 32 suburbs as far northwest as Lake in the Hills in McHenry County.