Endorsement: Deuter for Illinois House District 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.