Endorsement: Maura Hirschauer for House Dist. 49

The state representative in Illinois House District 49 is not running for reelection. Democrat Karina Villa opted to run for the Illinois Senate instead.

So that opens the race up for two newcomers - former elementary school teacher Maura Hirschauer of Batavia and North Aurora Trustee Laura Curtis - in what looks to be a combative and competitive race.

They offer voters a clear choice in both style and priorities.

Curtis, the Republican, is a real estate appraiser who is emphasizing property taxes as a chief issue. She wants property tax relief, opposes the graduated income tax amendment as a ploy to raise taxes and is strongly pro-business.

Hirschauer, the Democrat, has a different focus. As a gun control activist, she wants to "keep guns out of our schools" and advocates for common-sense gun reform.

Her campaign stresses community health, education and equal opportunity.

We like the personal approach she has taken to her campaign and that we believe she would take to public service.

"I am increasingly disillusioned by the polarizing partisanship and negativity that dominates politics at both the state and federal level," she says on her website. "This ugliness is not reflected in the community."

We hope voters agree, and we endorse Hirschauer in the 49th District, which is made up of parts of Aurora, Bartlett, Batavia, Elgin, Geneva, Naperville, North Aurora, South Elgin, St. Charles, Warrenville, Wayne, and West Chicago.