Endorsement: Krishnamoorthi for Democrats for U.S. Senate

Of the 10 Democrats seeking the opportunity to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, three have generally been anointed as the ones to watch because of their vastly more abundant campaign funding, but several of the other seven also deserve attention.

For far-left voters who are disenchanted with the direction of the party, Christopher Swann, Bryan Maxwell, and, especially, Kevin Ryan are particularly effective in articulating progressive policies. They are engaging speakers with impressively researched arguments on diverse issues facing the government, including economic fairness, Medicare for All, greater distance from Israel in Middle East policy, border-focused immigration enforcement and a more robust role for Congress in matters ranging from setting tariffs to use of military force.

Closer to the middle, Awisi Bustos, a former Durbin aide, also shows promise in arguing for and advancing Democratic Party principles. Steve Botsford Jr., Jonathan Dean and Sean Brown are solid candidates who tend toward more-moderate positions while still maintaining mainstream Democratic values on the economy, support for Ukraine, a sound but compassionate immigration policy and a diplomacy-centric, pro-NATO foreign policy.

Which brings us to the three so-called front-runners - 2nd District U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, 8th District U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. As a group, they tend to espouse nuanced yet unflinching Democratic positions on key issues, though in truth, they are generally distinguished more by style than philosophy.

Selecting among such a large field may seem a daunting task, especially since at their core all 10 candidates have legitimate strengths and solid appeal. But for us there are some obvious distinguishing features. Bustos stands out among the middle four, but even so, it is a field of sincere but less-experienced candidates without sufficiently developed resumes to launch a bid for the Upper Chamber. Ryan’s intellect and passion are particularly evident among the progressives, but here again, we have candidates who argue that their strength is their lack of direct experience in politics, a not-irrelevant argument but one that goes only so far toward predicting success in a large and diverse governing body like the Senate.

Among the final three, we are impressed by Stratton’s strident articulation of issues, but question whether an incomplete term in the Illinois House and two terms as lieutenant governor truly prepare her for a role in the Senate. And, while Kelly has a reputation for commitment and hard work in the House - going even so far as to introduce action aiming to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem - we don’t see her as a likely heir to the cooperative, thoughtful leadership role that defined Durbin’s tenure.

Krishnamoorthi, on the other hand, checks all the boxes for us for this nomination. As a congressman, he has earned a reputation for hard work and creative legislating. He is outspoken on matters ranging from Israeli excesses in the Mideast war to compassion for immigrants and a sound, fair national health policy. And on top of all this, he is recognized as one of the most bi-partisan representatives in Congress.

An interesting pool of candidates has formed in the wake of Dick Durbin’s decision to resign from the U.S. Senate. All have qualities to recommend them, but one stands out for commitment, energy, integrity and leadership. We recommend Raja Krishnamoorthi.