Editorial: The Tribune endorses Villegas in 3rd District US House Dem primary

This is the second installment of the Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements for U.S. House primary races.

3rd District:

During the 2021 redistricting process, Illinois Democrats gave themselves a second congressional district that capitalizes on the Chicago area’s growing Latino population. The newly created 3rd District includes sizable Latino enclaves in Chicago neighborhoods like Belmont Cragin, Logan Square and Humboldt Park, as well as Hispanic pockets in the west suburbs, including Bensenville, Elgin and West Chicago.

Though heavily Democratic, the district also includes parts of DuPage County that in the past have leaned Republican. That has changed somewhat in recent elections, as the county has become more blue. But a Democratic candidate who shows crossover appeal stands a better chance of heading to Washington in November and serving all of the district, rather than just a part of it.

That brings us to the two frontrunners in this Democratic primary, both Latino Chicagoans — state Rep. Delia Ramirez, 4th, and Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th.

Ramirez, 39, got to Springfield with the help of U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a longtime fixture in Latino politics in Illinois. Since then, she has championed a range of progressive causes, including an extension of Medicaid status to low-income seniors regardless of their immigration status, and housing legislation that turned $1.5 billion in federal funding into help for tenants and homeowners at risk of losing their homes during the height of the pandemic.

She also led the legislative effort to transform Chicago Public Schools into an entity overseen by an elected school board, a changeover that will begin in 2025 and conclude in 2027. That comes as no surprise, since she has gotten backing from the Chicago Teachers Union, a driving force behind the elected school board initiative. We’ve said before that the real winner in the short-sighted move toward an elected school board won’t be taxpayers, parents or their children — it will be CTU leadership, which likely will marshal its money and political clout to get its proxies elected to the board.

We may not agree with the merit of an elected CPS board, but we agree with Ramirez when she says she has strong legislative experience that includes working across the aisle to get measures passed. “We need people that have the experience to advocate on a larger scale, have bipartisan experience and know how to take responsibility,” Ramirez told us. “I have experience in bipartisan legislation, he doesn’t.”

It’s true that historically the City Council has been dominated by Democrats. But within the council there have always been warring factions, and the current body’s makeup is no different. There are the Black and Latino caucuses, as well as the progressives and the moderates. Where does Villegas fit in?

Though he’s not viewed as a member of the council’s Progressive Caucus, he has pushed through progressive measures, like the universal basic income pilot program that channels cash assistance to low-income individuals hard-hit by the pandemic. But he diverges from progressives when it comes to far-left ideals such as the “defund the police” movement, which is something he accuses Ramirez of embracing.

On the campaign trail, Ramirez’s team has taken pains to say she has supported measures that create funding for police training, but a recent WBEZ story notes that her team responded to a question about her views on “defunding police” by replying, “That is not the right question to ask.” That’s also not the right answer.

Perhaps the best way to size up Villegas’ politics is to say he is a pragmatist. He takes issue with the failed attempt by President Joe Biden and progressive lawmakers to get the White House’s $3.5 trillion Build Back Better agenda enacted. Villegas, 51, says the better approach would have been to pare down the program’s scale to make it palatable and practical enough to succeed.

“What you saw with Build Back Better, what happened with the Progressive Caucus, was that it was an all-or-nothing approach,” Villegas told us. “And as a result of that nothing happened, when it was in fact an opportunity to get $1.8 trillion to help families during this pandemic … So my approach is more pragmatic — trying to make sure we are doing something and continuing to move the ball down the field.”

Villegas’ ascent to the 36th Ward came with the help of Luis Arroyo, the former state lawmaker who in May was sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison on corruption charges. Ramirez says that should be perceived as a black mark on Villegas’ résumé. That’s a stretch, but Villegas should think about disassociating himself from Arroyo, who at his sentencing was referred to by U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger as a “corruption superspreader.”

Both Ramirez and Villegas bring to this race strong credentials and a driving desire to ably serve their constituents. But this is far from a monolithic district. It requires not only someone who can reach across the aisle in Congress, but can connect with this district’s progressives, moderates and suburban Republicans . We think Villegas is the better choice. He is endorsed.

Also in the race are Chicagoans Juan Enrique Aguirre, a 26-year-old registered nurse and cannabis businessman, and Iymen Chehade, 48, a professor at Columbia College Chicago and foreign policy director for U.S. Rep. Marie Newman’s campaign in the 6th congressional district.

5th District:

This Republican primary pits Chicago commercial real estate broker Tommy Hanson against Malgorzata McGonigal, a Polish immigrant from North Barrington. The winner takes on U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, who is uncontested in the Democratic primary.

Hanson denies that climate change is real and believes the presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. Answering a question from us that mentioned the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, McGonigal likened the event to “trespassing.” She also intimated that American media outlets have been unfair to Vladimir Putin. Hardly.

The Tribune makes no endorsement in this race.

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