Endorsements: Lewis for Illinois Senate 24; Vrankovich for House District 47, Sanalitro for House District 48
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.
House 47: Vrankovich
A businessman and a former teacher are vying to replace state Rep. Amy Grant as the House member in DuPage County-based District 47.
With Grant not running for re-election, the floor is open for new blood. Voters will choose between Republican business owner Robert Vrankovich of Carol Stream, who built a propane company from nothing into a viable, $110 million concern; and Democratic Wheaton City Council member Erica Bray-Parker, a former educator and longtime community volunteer and activist.
In their respective worlds, they are both go-getters. Both are focused on local, not national issues and have logged considerable time with community organizations.
Vrankovich says he is running to make Illinois more affordable by cutting “reckless” spending, create a more pro-business environment, restore honesty in government and to support property tax relief, among other ideas. “As a business owner, I know firsthand how bad policies from Springfield can punish businesses and hurt working families,” he says.
Bray-Parker says she is focused on helping families secure affordable childcare and health care; giving teens better access to summer jobs; helping young adults find affordable rental options in DuPage; giving small businesses a supportive environment that encourages ownership and growth, among other things. “I support new state legislation that addresses the ‘missing middle’ in DuPage County,” she says.
In this endorsement, we give the slight edge to Vrankovich, as a successful local businessman who has ideas about how to encourage more of that in his community. Ideally, if elected, he’ll work across the political aisle when he sees the opportunity to pursue shared goals for the betterment of the suburbs, and all of Illinois.
House 48: Sanalitro
State Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro was first elected to the 48th in 2022, a district that stretches from northern DuPage into the Northwest arm of Cook County. A sales executive and small business owner, Sanalitro has brought a decent background of business management and community service to her legislative role, and says her focus remains safe neighborhoods, lower taxes and help for working families. To that end, she has supported safe storage of guns, background checks and appropriate state gun law training. She also was among the voices that successfully raised the age of senior road tests. Sanalitro also supports ethics oversight for the legislature.
The Republican Hanover Park state representative is being challenged by Democrat Amanda Zahorak of Roselle, who says affordability is “at the heart” of what she is fighting for, with a special emphasis on funding schools and students equitably.
We like her background as a director of Gigi’s Playhouse and as a leader of Habitat For Humanity organizations in DuPage County and in the South suburbs. But we like Sanalitro’s experience more. She is endorsed.