Democratic state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, 45, of Naperville faces a challenge from Republican Ajay Gupta, 61, a tax attorney and adjunct law professor with an impressive academic résumé. Both candidates bring considerable financial expertise to a district encompassing portions of Naperville, Warrenville and Bolingbrook. But they have different ideas about how Illinois should confront its enormous pension obligations and punishing tax burden.
Yang Rohr, who works in investment research at Morningstar, chairs the House Personnel and Pensions Committee. She argues that Illinois has made progress on its pension obligations through additional contributions and voluntary buyouts, and she opposes reducing benefits public employees have already earned. On a proposed 3% millionaire surtax, she told us she would support putting the question to voters only if the proposal also repealed Illinois’ estate tax.
Gupta takes a different approach that will appeal to fiscal conservatives. He opposes a millionaire tax, and proposes a constitutional amendment that would protect pension benefits already earned while permitting changes to future accruals, retirement ages and cost-of-living adjustments. He also favors a spending cap tied to inflation and population.
Ajay Gupta is endorsed.
Read all of the Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements for the 2026 Illinois general election here.
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