Endorsement: Daily Herald rejects Link, backs Lee in Illinois Senate District 30

Voters in Illinois Senate District 30, which runs through central Lake County from Waukegan to Buffalo Grove, have a choice between Terry Link, the 21-year incumbent Democrat from Vernon Hills, and Soojae Lee, a Republican attorney from Buffalo Grove who's never held public office.

We frequently have questioned Link's performance and motives, and the voters should too.

As one of many examples, he tried at one point to create an appointed Lake County Election Commission, surprising county officials who eventually won a repeal. Link wouldn't say who was behind the idea to tuck the plan into a larger election bill and denied it was him, though he was the only senator from Lake County to vote for it. Link last year surprised the county board again with a bill that would make the county chairman elected by voters rather than by the members. Though the merits of the idea are worthy of debate, it's clear that Link's motives were political, and a proposal like that shouldn't come as a surprise. In yet another case: Link pushed bill in May to allow a veterans group to circumvent local prohibitions against gambling machines, frustrating the mayors of Gurnee and other towns. We can't say local officials always are right, but they shouldn't have to be looking over their shoulders and voters shouldn't be left to wonder about Link's motives.

It's time for Link to go and worthwhile to give Lee a chance. An attorney with an MBA and accounting degree, he speaks plainly and in detail about Illinois' financial woes and lays out straightforward ideas for fixing them.

We endorse Lee.