Seth Lewis, the Republican candidate for Illinois Senate in District 23, was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune editorial board last week.
The editorial board cited incumbent state Sen. Tom Cullerton's (D-Villa Park) voting record, in particular his vote in favor of the unbalanced budget passed by the House in late May, as a factor in the decision to endorse Lewis. The budget, which failed in the Senate, was $7 billion in the red.
The board also noted that Cullerton was the lead sponsor of a bill to eliminate the lieutenant governor's office, an office the board deemed unnecessary, but added he usually voted along party lines.
In the endorsement, the editorial board wrote favorably of Lewis' history with the Bartlett Fire Protection District as a trustee and his willingness to vote against spending. Lewis has also been a vocal critic of generous public pension packages, despite his wife's position as a school superintendent.
“I am extremely humbled by the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune," Lewis said. "The state of Illinois is at a crossroads and we cannot afford anymore reckless spending and a tax hike agenda that has put Illinois into the position we are in today. I am looking forward to going down to Springfield to be to be a fresh face and be an independent voice for common-sense reforms that will revitalize our state."
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