Tribune Picks Peck, Holmes in State Senate Races

The Chicago Tribune this week wrapped up its endorsements for the November 2012 general election, including the editorial board’s picks for the 49th  and 42nd State Senate district and the 11th Congressional district.

Plainfield Republican Garrett Peck, a village trustee, was among the candidates who received endorsements from the newspaper. Peck is going up against Will County Regional Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant in the 49th State Senate race.

In endorsing Peck, the Trib wrote that Bertino-Tarrant “is woefully short on specifics about how to address the state's most vexing problems,” while saying Peck “speaks with confidence about how he'd fix the state's pension and workers' compensation systems, about the limitations of the new campaign finance laws, about the Catch-22 of handing out tax breaks to prevent businesses from fleeing the state. He would like to abolish the do-nothing Health Facilities Planning Board. He would bring a common-sense business perspective to state government.”

The editorial board favored incumbent Linda Holmes in the 42nd State Senate district race over Plainfield Republican Peter Hurtado.

“Is this some alternative universe?,” the endorsement reads. “Republican Peter Hurtado of Plainfield proposes a $1 per transaction tax on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to fund state pensions, a sure way to send the exchanges packing. He knocks Democratic Sen. Linda Holmes of Aurora for voting to cut Medicaid spending and end the corrupt legislative scholarship program. Holmes is endorsed.”

Republican Congresswoman Judy Biggert got the nod in the 11th district. The longtime politician faces Democrat Bill Foster in the newly drawn district.

“Republican Rep. Judy Biggert and Democratic former Rep. Bill Foster are the kind of people you want to see in Congress. They reflect the best values of their respective parties, but they also think for themselves. It's a shame they're running against each other,” the Trib wrote. “…Biggert is a more reliable vote against federal government borrowing and spending. She has focused on science, education and financial services. She is a voice for tolerance and for economic restraint. She was one of the few Republicans to vote to end the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy on gay service members. Unlike Foster, she opposed stimulus spending and Obamacare.”

In the 14th Congressional district, Republican Randy Hultgren got the nod; he faces Democrat Dennis Anderson.

In the State Senate 43rd district race, Joliet Democrat Pat McGuire got the thumbs up over Republican Sandy Johnson.

The Tribune had not yet made an endorsement in the 98th Representative district race, which pits Republican Bob Kalnicky against Democrat Natalie Manley.

Click here to read the Chicago Tribune’s full list of endorsements.

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