Endorsements: Glowiak Hilton for Senate Dist. 23; Deuter for House Dist. 45; Blair-Sherlock for House Dist. 46
Suzanne Glowiak Hilton has been the state senator in Illinois District 23 since 2019. Evidently, west suburban voters continue to like her work in Springfield, re-electing her in 2020 and 2024. She did not face a party challenge in the March primary.
We, too, think the Western Springs Democrat has acquitted herself well, as a state senator who works hard, leads in a bipartisan fashion and is easily accessible to her constituents. She has co-sponsored legislation (alongside a Republican state senator) that would limit state spending to the level of Illinois economic growth. A former Western Springs village trustee, she has good relations with local municipal leaders in DuPage County and takes their needs into account.
A mechanical engineer by profession, Glowiak Hilton has far-ranging interests in climate change, improving education, public safety and gun violence prevention, good government and doing what the state can to empower health insurance exchanges.
Her Republican opponent, Linda Z. Polacek, of Lombard, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a York Center Park District commissioner. Her platform calls for supporting tax relief and responsible budgeting; stronger governmental ethics laws and independent redistricting. All worthy goals.
But Glowiak Hilton has already shown us she can work productively across the aisle on important issues to the suburbs. She is endorsed.
Illinois House 45
Martha “Marti” Deuter surprised and impressed us in November 2024 when she bested the better-known, former legislator Dennis Reboletti to win the 45th House seat with 53.8% of the vote. Now, Deuter, a Democrat, is wrapping up her first term in the Illinois House and running for re-election; she was unchallenged in the Democratic primary.
In the Daily Herald’s endorsement of the Republican Reboletti in 2024, we still found the space to praise Deuter, particularly for her experience on the Elmhurst City Council. “Deuter is an impressive candidate who has served as an Elmhurst alderman for the last 11 years,” we wrote. “She has a background as a policymaker and says she believes in compromise.”
Frankly, Deuter could have found more reasons to reach across the aisle in her first term than she did and if she wins re-election we’ll be looking for that. But to her credit she sponsored bills that featured consumer fraud protections, veterans’ assistance and public safety reporting, and got behind several consumer protection bills. And we like the relationships she has with municipal leaders at home in DuPage County.
Her Republican opponent is Gina Parilli of Westmont, a mortgage officer. Her campaign has focused on ethics reform, reducing state government spending, cutting taxes for Illinoisans and protecting parental rights in education. She is well-spoken on those issues.
But we are giving Deuter the endorsement, counting on her to step out from the Democratic crowd in her sophomore term and stand out on the issues that are close to her heart and close to the hearts of Elmhurst and other local communities.
House 46
State Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock is running for re-election after two terms as the representative from Illinois House District 46. The Villa Park Democrat votes almost exclusively in support of her party’s own issues, and she is rarely quoted in issues-based media stories. Still, her Republican opponent, Pedro Joveny Mendoza, also of Villa Park, has done little campaigning other than advocating on his website that residents over 65 should no longer have to pay property taxes.
We are giving Blair-Sherlock the edge here. An attorney by profession, the bills she has signed onto support gun safety, increased money for schools, including higher education, health care, veterans and protections for workers.
House District 46 is largely in DuPage County, with some Cook County communities, like Franklin Park. Blair-Sherlock is endorsed.