Endorsements: Lewis for Illinois Senate 24

Seth Lewis has proven himself to be a solid public servant in the Illinois Senate and we endorse him for re-election this November and another four years in Springfield.

Do we agree with every idea he promotes? No. But Lewis, a conservative Republican first elected to the 24th District in 2022, considers it one of his objectives to actively work with Democrats on legislation that reflects their shared goals, and that’s the kind of attitude we need more of.

Lewis lives in Bartlett with his wife, Bhavna Sharma-Lewis, the superintendent of Diamond Lake Elementary District 76 near Mundelein. He ran and won his Senate seat after two years in the Illinois House, and prior to the 2025 state budget he was appointed to the Senate Republican Budget Negotiation Team. Despite his solid conservative credentials, he raised the eyebrows of fellow Republicans in 2025 when he was the only GOP member to support the transit rescue package (and the accompanying massive toll increases), saying transit is vital to northern Illinois and the suburbs.

He allowed himself to be turned around on Illinois involvement in the Medical Debt Relief Program once a Republican colleague from downstate Illinois described how it had helped people of all parties throughout the state.

Lewis’s Democratic opponent is the progressive Ben McAdams, a community organizer in DuPage and Northwest suburban Cook counties. He has finance and economics degrees from Elmhurst University and worked on the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign while in college. His priorities include access to fully funded healthcare; getting dark money out of politics; finding support for working families; protecting due process rights for all residents; regulating AI and data centers; and lowering property taxes.

The 24th Senate District combines House Districts 47 and 48, and includes parts of Addison, Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Itasca, Naperville, Roselle, Warrenville, West Chicago, Wheaton, Winfield, and Wood Dale.

Lewis is endorsed.