Endorsement: Costa Howard for House Dist. 48

In the race for Illinois House from District 48, former Glen Ellyn school board member and civic leader Terra Costa Howard is out to prove that her ouster of Lombard Republican Peter Breen in 2018 was more than a fluke of the Democratic surge of that year. Breen is back for a rematch to try to show otherwise.

We stand by the choice we made in 2018.

Despite her freshman status, Costa Howard was an assertive and outspoken lawmaker in her first term. She was aleader among legislators who fought the, unfortunately futile, battle to get on the November ballot a Fair Maps redistricting question that her party's leadership did not want, and she promises to continue pressing that important cause whenever the General Assembly reconvenes. She acknowledges the governor's successes against the coronavirus epidemic but is clear on the need for more legislative influence over state policy going forward. She was among the first members of the House to call for House Speaker Mike Madigan to relinquish his leadership roles of the House and the Democratic Party after he was implicated in the ComEd bribery scandal, and vows she will not support him for another term as speaker.

Breen, a former Lombard village trustee and two-term legislator, is assertive, too, but to the point of alienating others in a way that deepens political divisions, making it harder rather than easier to bring about necessary changes in Illinois government.

We're pleased by the promise shown in Costa Howard's first term and look forward to the further growth she may show in a second. She is endorsed.

District 48 lies in DuPage County, primarily encompassing parts of Lombard, Glen Ellyn and Wheaton.