Harris for Republican secretary of state nomination

The Republican candidates for Illinois Secretary of State are asking GOP voters to take a leap of faith when they make their choice in the March 17 primary.

That’s because neither Walter Adamczyk or Diane Harris possess the kind of resume one might typically expect of candidates for a statewide office, or from someone hoping to lead an agency with nearly 4,000 employees working in 20 distinct departments in more than 100 locations.

Adamczyk is a GOP precinct committeeman from Chicago who’s held no other elected office. He’s made improving service for veterans a centerpiece of his campaign.

Harris, of Joliet, served two years on the Joliet Junior College board, is a longtime precinct committeeman in Joliet Township, and ran a competent, though ultimately unsuccessful, campaign for the Illinois Senate’s 43rd District seat in 2022. The small business owner wants to install DMV kiosks statewide and boost cybersecurity.

On the issues, Adamczyk and Harris have relatively similar stances: both say the secretary of state needs to improve customer relations and streamline services; both support voter ID laws and would cooperate with federal authorities seeking the state’s voter rolls; and both have concerns about the security of digital driver’s licenses.

Those similarities bring us back to the question of experience. While neither has held a major elected office, Harris stands out for having served in multiple leadership roles, winning a previous GOP primary and running a competitive campaign for a state Senate seat long held by Democrats.

Whoever emerges from the Republican primary faces an uphill climb against Giannoulias, but Harris gives the party a more credible chance. She gets our endorsement.