Endorsements
Seth earned the "Triple Crown" of endorsements!
Daily Herald
Two years ago in Illinois House District 45, we endorsed Diane Pappas of Itasca over a Republican incumbent we liked, Christine Winger of Wood Dale.
It was a tough call because we liked them both, but ultimately, we were impressed by Pappas as a fresh, bright, common-sense Democrat "with a compelling personal story not only of her childhood journey from Poland to an adult life of achievement in America but also of the lessons she has learned from the challenges that confronted her as an immigrant along the way."
This year, it's another tough call.
She's running against Republican Seth Lewis, an insurance agent from Bartlett, who is making his fourth run for the Illinois General Assembly. The party turned to Lewis to make the campaign after Bartlett Trustee Mike Camerer, who won the GOP primary, died unexpectedly in June.
We endorsed Lewis two years ago when he ran against state Sen. Tom Cullerton, who won reelection but then was indicted a year ago by federal authorities on union embezzlement charges.
We liked Lewis then both because of his community involvement and also because of his mastery of the issues. He's a moderate and personable Republican and strikes us as a fundamentally decent person.
We still are impressed by those attributes.
Chicago Sun Times
There’s an important role in Springfield for the civic-minded business owner who’s ready to step into the political fray to work on the economic woes of the state.
Republican Seth Lewis of Bartlett fits that bill. He’s a relatively moderate Republican with small business experience who was persuaded by his party to enter the race late when the winner of the party’s primary, Bartlett Trustee Michael Camerer, died unexpectedly.
Lewis, whom we also endorsed in a state Senate race in 2018, is challenging incumbent Democrat Diane Pappas, of Itasca, in this Republican-leaning west suburban district.
Lewis is an insurance agent by profession and an industrial engineer by training. He has a solid understanding of this district’s pressing infrastructure needs and flooding problems, as well as a record of community involvement.
We look forward to watching Lewis work to craft practical solutions to Illinois’ problems. He promises to be a strong voice for anti-corruption reforms, as well.
Chicago Tribune
Republican Seth Lewis has been here before, trying to win a seat in the General Assembly to bring fiscal sanity to state government. We endorsed him in 2018 when he ran against Democrat Sen. Tom Cullerton of Villa Park, who is now facing a 41-count embezzlement indictment. Voters, you should have listened to us. Lewis sees the danger in the Democrats' push for a graduated income tax because it paves the way for future governors and lawmakers to raise taxes on middle-class taxpayers. Incumbent Democrat Diane Pappas of Itasca says lawmakers shouldn’t get paid if they don’t pass a budget. No budget, no pay — that has a nice ring to it. But voters shouldn’t fall for silly campaign promises the General Assembly has shown time and again it won’t pass. Lewis is the real deal. Voters should send him to Springfield.