Endorsement: Bean for Congress in Illinois District 8

The choice of the candidate to succeed Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi as Illinois’ 8th District representative to Congress is somewhat surprisingly difficult.

We were consistent supporters of Barrington Democrat Melissa Bean during her previous three terms in Congress, which ended with her defeat to Joe Walsh during the Tea Party Republican sweep of the Obama administration midterms. And we still are.

The 8th District follows a generally horizontal westward path from parts of Des Plaines and Rolling Meadows in Cook County on the east through Bloomingdale and parts of Carol Stream in DuPage County then beyond West Dundee and Gilberts in Kane County.

Returning to the fray after 15 years back in the private sector, she remains a tough, knowledgeable and independent voice, still true to the moderate “Blue Dog Democrat” mantle she wore during her tenure in office. She speaks with passion and authority about the need for Congress to return to its constitutional role as a balance against presidential overreach, a trend she acknowledges has developed through administrations of both political parties. She is committed first to protecting and then strengthening health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. She recognizes the need for a tough but thoughtful foreign policy, whether the subject is Ukraine, Israel or Iran.

And she can point to a record in Congress that included achievements helping small businesses, protecting children from internet predators and advancing the Affordable Care Act. She also was known as a visible presence in the district and an energetic advocate for issues affecting it.

She is a tough act to challenge.

Even so, her opponent, Republican Jennifer Davis of Huntley, makes an appealing case. In applying her experience as a smart, successful tech entrepreneur to matters of politics, she, too, is tough, knowledgeable and independent on matters facing Congress. She has particularly well-defined insights about managing artificial intelligence and technology. She is not shy about differing with contemporary GOP trends on tariffs, foreign policy and immigration, yet she is also an articulate and compelling advocate for traditional small-government values. She is certainly the kind of candidate the Republican Party desperately needs in Congress right now.

But, similarly, Bean is the kind of candidate the Democratic Party needs in Congress right now, as well, and she has a record that shows she can be an influential force in government. If Davis doesn’t win, we hope she will continue to seek leadership opportunities in government. She certainly could be a valuable representative for her party in state politics. But for this role in Congress at this time, our faith remains in the experienced Bean. She gets our endorsement.