House District 45: Brinkman

Of the four thoughtful Republicans seeking the House District 45 seat in the March 18 primary, we like Daniel Brinkman of Carol Stream. At 26 years old, Brinkman is enthusiastic and has wisdom and experience of many candidates much older, including seven years of valuable work for the Illinois House as a district director and legislative assistant. That experience, he says, has allowed him to see the "waste and inefficiencies firsthand" in Springfield. It also should help ease the transition into a first term in the legislature. Finally, we hope Brinkman's enthusiasm for overhauling our state's overwhelmingly political process of creating legislative boundaries will translate into action. He carried petitions for a League of Women Voters effort to effect change in the way the political maps are drawn. The other candidates in the race are Christine Winger, a Wood Dale alderman and financial adviser; T.J. Lewis of Bartlett, a firefighter/paramedic; and Seth Lewis of Bartlett, owner of an insurance agency. The four candidates are seeking to replace state Rep. Dennis Reboletti, who is running for the state Senate seat Kirk Dillard is leaving in his bid for governor.