Daily Herald endorsements: Morrison for Senate Dist. 29; Katz Muhl for House Dist. 47

Democrat Julie Morrison of Lake Forest has provided strong and at times even courageous representation and leadership for Senate District 29 since 2013, and she has earned support for her re-election in November. We enthusiastically endorse her candidacy.

Her opponent, Republican Kate McGrath of Deerfield says she was motivated to run because of an out-migration of businesses and residents from Illinois. She says people and jobs are leaving because of high property taxes, out-of-control government spending and policies that are unfriendly to business.

To a degree, McGrath has a point and one that Democrats who now run Springfield through supermajorities would do well to hear and address, but when she dismisses Morrison as “just voting along party lines,” we're sorry. We strongly disagree.

Morrison, a former West Deerfield Township supervisor, is much more responsive than that. In fact, we long have been impressed by her independence and willingness to buck party leaders when need be. In 2019, she took on the party establishment when she led an attempt — sadly, unsuccessful — to reform the state's redistricting process. She is a hard-working moderate who pursues creative policies to assist people struggling with the cost of living and to require government transparency and accountability.

The election in House District 47 is a rematch of the 2024 race between Democrat Tracy Katz Muhl and Republican Daniel Behr, both from Northbrook. Muhl, a former school board president in Northbrook Elementary District 28, had been appointed to the seat earlier that year and won election to a full term in her contest with Behr, a small business professional with particular economics expertise in transportation.

Frankly, we like both of these candidacies. Behr is a stickler for accountability on government spending programs and like McGrath, justifiably concerned about out-migration. But two years ago, we endorsed Katz Muhl based on her impressive grasp of the issues and her years of service to the community. We noted that “her experience on a school board gives the ability to look at issues at the local level in addition to the state level.” All of that is still true. We endorse her candidacy again.

There is no contest in House District 48. Incumbent Democrat Bob Morgan of Deerfield is running unopposed for his fifth term.