Endorsement: Malter for the Democratic nomination in 59th House
Democratic voters in Illinois House District 59 have a choice between two solid contenders in the March 20 primary election. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove was elected Vernon Township supervisor in 2017. He grew up in the area and graduated from Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. Susan Malter of Lake Forest is an attorney who volunteers legal services for low-income Chicago-area residents and for arriving international travelers to O'Hare Airport in the wake of President Donald Trump's travel ban. Both have attributes that could serve constituents well. Didech's push to place township road maintenance under the supervisor is a good cost-saving move. He acted quickly after a township sexual harassment complaint, though his handling of the case was a bit ham-handed. Malter, a former Cook County prosecutor, founded a nonprofit to connect at-risk schoolchildren and their families to social services and has hosted talks between Muslim and Jewish members of the community. Her involvement in a variety of civic organizations, such as the Chicago Community Trust, gives her the edge. That broad experience could prove particularly valuable in a state where social services have suffered in the past decade because of political gridlock. We endorse Malter for the Democratic nomination.