Dupage Policy Journal

Just days into her new job as a state representative, Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville) has managed to cause a stir among her constituents by characterizing her hometown of Naperville as having “white supremacist policies.”

Her remarks about Naperville came in a Facebook response to a post by Felicia Palumbo, who in early January wrote that “Naperville is the biggest bullies … horrible.”

“I know and I am so sorry,” Stava-Murray replied on her “Anne Stava-Murray for U.S. Senate” Facebook page. “I actually wanted to move to Oak Park but stayed to work on my community. Our history of white supremacist policies is ongoing.”

Anne Stava-Murray

Stava-Murray did not respond to multiple requests from the DuPage Policy Journal seeking substantiation for her comments—any evidence that Naperville ever, or currently has, white supremacist policies.  

A white supremacist Naperville was news to Mayor Steve Chirico.

“I would never characterize Naperville in this way,” Chirico told the Policy Journal, “but I realize that people have many different perceptions and views.”

Twenty-three-year Naperville resident Richard Strawbridge said he couldn’t imagine where Stava-Murray’s comments were coming from.

“I’m unaware of any so-called white supremacist policies,” Strawbridge, an attorney, said, “and I’m very active in the local community.

“In fact,” he continued, “my impression is that the Naperville community as a whole tries to be very fair and inclusive. Are there individual idiots out there who buck this trend? I’m guessing there are. But to paint the entire community with this broad and defamatory characterization is unworthy of a public official in the absence of some actual evidence. These kinds of comments from any part of the political spectrum only serve to divide people and to impeded constructive dialogue.”

Stava-Murray is expected to appear, with other members of the General Assembly, at a legislative forum hosted by the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation on Saturday at the Naperville Municipal Center.

“Every January, we invite our local state senators and representatives to share their views on what we can expect from Springfield in the upcoming year,” an announcement of the event on the Homeowners website said. “With representatives from both sides of the political aisle, and several new faces, this should be a great opportunity to get to better know those who hold our statewide future in their hands.”

The 32-year-old freshman lawmaker also announced before even being sworn in as a House member representing the 81st District that she would challenge U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin for his seat in 2020.

She supports the full range of progressive causes, according to her Senate campaign website. That includes Medicare-For-All, “actually affordable healthcare reform that doesn’t give away money to for-profit millionaires” and Wear Red for Ed, Families, “proper education funding that doesn’t result in mass striking for teachers to receive basic resources.” She also endorses “providing support for the LGBTQIA community as they have among the highest rates of being murdered by a member of the public.”

In November, Stava-Murray defeated incumbent David Olsen (R-Downers Grove) in a close race.

The 81st District includes parts of Bolingbrook, Darien, Downers Grove, Naperville and Woodridge