Incumbent state Rep. Dave Vella, a Rockford Democrat, has represented this district since 2021. Republican challenger Kathy Easton, 65, has the right instincts on tax policy and the need to scrutinize ever-ballooning spending in Springfield. She still needs to refine the specifics of her proposals, but we like her motto — “service over politics, results over rhetoric” — though she goes further than we would on criminal justice reform. Nevertheless, we are encouraged that someone with common sense on fiscal issues is in this race.
Kathy Easton is endorsed.
Read all of the Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements for the 2026 Illinois general election here.
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