Endorsement: Kifowit in Illinois House 84

We did not endorse state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Aurora in her first two general election campaigns.

The reasons have had less to do with Kifowit's capabilities or performance in office than the strength of her opponents and, as importantly, our concerns about the absolute power wielded by House Speaker Michael J. Madigan.

Madigan is not elected to that position by the people. Voters in only one House district in Illinois get to cast ballots for or against him — the 22nd District in Chicago. Madigan is elected to his leadership position by House Democrats, and there is little chance that any of them want to buck him when those elections take place and even less chance that they would survive politically if they did. So the problem with Kifowit hasn't been her qualifications but more, that a vote for her, like a vote for any other Democrat running for the Illinois House, is a vote for Madigan.

All that said, Kifowit has been an effective legislator in her first two terms and grows increasingly more impressive.

As for her willingness to stand up to Madigan, she was one of only five House Democrats to reject his unbalanced budget proposal, presented with effectively no time to read or review it.

Beyond that, this election is no coin flip. Kifowit possesses more depth of insight on the state's challenges than Republican business owner Mike Strick of Naperville, a good man but a candidate who would benefit from broader exposure to the issues.

We endorse Kifowit in House District 84 which takes in parts of Aurora, Naperville, Montgomery and Oswego.