Which 26th District candidate best reflects Barrington-area district's values?
While Republican state Sen. Dan McConchie says he reflects the 26th District he represents by pursuing common-sense ideas, his opponent in next month's election is portraying him as a poor fit.
Democrat Tom Georges of Mundelein is making his first run for an elected office. He hopes to topple McConchie, a Hawthorn Woods resident elected to the Senate in 2016. Voters will decide the race Nov. 6.
The 26th Senate District is centered in the Barrington area and includes portions of central and southwest Lake County, plus parts of northwest Cook County, northeast Kane County and southeast McHenry County.
Georges contends McConchie's vote this year against ratification of the federal Equal Rights Amendment is an example of how the district's views are not being represented in Springfield. Illinois became the 37th state to ratify the ERA.
"The conservative values of the past just don't work today," said Georges, a small-business owner who manages real estate investments and serves on the Mundelein planning and zoning commission. "We've evolved from there. We're socially progressive in the sense where we need to move forward."
However, McConchie disputes Georges' characterization of his vote, contending the U.S. Supreme Court has implied the ERA can no longer be ratified by states. Before it sailed through the House, the Senate approved the ERA ratification by a 43-12 vote in April.
McConchie said he's represented the 26th Senate District well by pursuing ideas such as reducing state spending.
"I work to try to get those (ideas) through a very difficult system that currently exists and while building relationships on the other side of the aisle, looking forward to a day when that leadership machine crumbles through time and we're able to have a system that is actually reflective of the people again," McConchie said.
McConchie won a three-way Republican primary in 2016 and then was appointed to fill the 26th District seat left open by the early retirement of former Sen. Dan Duffy. McConchie cruised to victory over Barrington Hills Democrat Kelly Mazeski in the general election.
McConchie and Georges have differences on other topics, including the idea of legalizing recreational marijuana. Georges favors allowing the purchase of small amounts of pot, but McConchie said he's against the idea and cited opposition from the Illinois Sheriffs' Assocation and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.