Today, the Tribune continues its endorsements for the upcoming election with our choices for the races for U.S. Congress in Illinois. This is the second of two parts, covering contested Districts 8 through 17. 8th District The relatively competitive 8th District covers all or part of Schaumburg, Rosemont, Rolling Meadows, South Barrington, East Dundee, Hoffman Estates, Streamwood, Elgin, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Palatine, Norridge, Rosemont, Arlington Heights, Hanover Park, Inverness and Mount Prospect. The incumbent since 2017 is Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, a well-funded, Harvard-trained lawyer. His Republican opponent is Mark Rice, 61, a self-styled political outsider who works in energy management and who told us, with a laugh, that he will bring about “a lot of change.” Krishnamoorthi, who is seeking his fifth term, told us that what matters most to his constituents is “the ability for themselves and their family to achieve economic freedom and access to the middle class, which includes ensuring that Medicare and Social Security are solvent in order to secure their future” and that he believes education is the key to class mobility. On the Middle East, he said it is it is “in America’s self-interest to support Israel’s defense against nefarious foreign actors such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran,” and his campaign also emphasizes abortion rights. Rice, 61, who is originally from Fort Worth, Texas, is a first-time candidate who owns an energy business that sells power and gas. He has affirmed the results of the 2020 election, supports Israel, says abortion is a matter for the states, takes a tough stance on illegal immigration and says he is for sensible background checks on gun sales, despite being a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. He has been critical of Krishnamoorthi, especially when it comes to where he raises money and to issues related to the border. The genial Rice told us that while he doesn’t have the resources of his rival, “it will be the votes that count.” He’s says voters should see his lack of political experience as an asset. Our choice, though, remains Krishnamoorthi, 51, a smart and intellectually sophisticated member of the House Intelligence Committee and a rising figure in national politics whom we have previously endorsed. While we have respect for Rice and diverge on some issues with Krishnamoorthi, we find the incumbent a detail-oriented representative known for stellar service to his constituents and very much in tune with this nation’s problems and assets. Raja Krishnamoorthi is endorsed.  9th District A Democratic stronghold, the 9th District covers much of Chicago’s North Side, especially along Lake Michigan, and also many north suburbs, including Evanston, Niles, Skokie and Wilmette. It has been represented by Democrat Jan Schakowsky since 1999.  Schakowsky’s Republican opponent is Seth Alan Cohen, a graduate of Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire who went on to serve in the Marines and remains in the reserves; he is currently working on an MBA at the University of Chicago and is director of a nonprofit called The Brigade. Cohen, 27, seems like a smart young man whom Republicans will find of future interest: he is a staunch supporter of Israel, wants to cut deficit spending and has a compelling personal biography.  He told us “the U.S. immigration system has the potential to uplift millions who seek to live productive lives in America,” and answered our question on the subject in far more detail than most. We agree with his statement that “if Hamas wishes to end the conflict, they must release all hostages immediately and engage in peace talks with Israel,” and we note he supports helping Ukraine. We wish he had more enlightened views on how to reduce the impact of guns in American society and he most assuredly lacks experience, but Cohen is a stronger opponent than Schakowsky has faced in the past in a district where she is an institution. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky speaks at Access Living of Metro Chicago on March 15, 2019. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Seeking her 14th term, the 80-year-old congresswoman and member of the House Budget Committee told us that “having been in Congress for 25 years, I know how to get things done.” While we hardly agree with all her positions, we admire (among other things) her support for reproductive rights, her support for Ukraine and her constituent service, which she says includes “reuniting families through immigration casework, helping seniors secure quality long-term care, helping families navigate Social Security and Medicare, and helping taxpayers with the IRS.” Jan Schakowsky is endorsed. 10th District The potentially competitive 10th District mostly comprises the northern suburbs of Chicago in Lake County and is represented by the moderate Democrat Brad Schneider of Highland Park who won 63% of the vote in 2022. Schneider’s Republican opponent is Lake County businessman Jim Carris, 62, who tells us he does not have any previous political experience. “The most pressing problem in our district is the skyrocketing cost of living,” Carris tells us.  “Families here are struggling to afford everyday necessities like groceries, gas, and child care, and it’s putting an enormous strain on their ability to thrive. Our district is home to a diverse population, and many families need relief now, not later.” Carris has moderate views, including support for Israel and Ukraine, and he affirms the results of the 2020 election. He also tells us he supports “substantive background checks” when it comes to lethal weaponry. U.S. Rep Brad Schneider speaks at Highland Park City Hall, Feb. 3, 2023. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) “There is more that we must do to help bring down out-of-pocket costs for Americans, Schneider told us. “I support establishing an enhanced Child Tax Credit and Child Care Tax Credit to provide financial assistance to families, taking steps to increase the supply of affordable housing, and extending the enhanced premium tax credits and fixing the Medicaid gap to lower health care costs and expand health care coverage. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, which shapes fiscal legislation including taxes, tariffs and social service programs, I’m proud to be working on these issues in a bipartisan manner each and every day.” We like Carris but have endorsed the 63-year-old Schneider before and see him as a moderate force in Congress whose experience will well serve those in his district. Brad Schneider is endorsed. 11th District  The 11th District covers Chicago’s west suburbs and exurbs including such cities as Aurora and Naperville. The incumbent is the highly experienced Democrat Bill Foster, a former physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia who leverages his scientific background and won 56% of the vote in 2022. Foster, who has represented this district since 2013 and whom we previously have endorsed, faces Republican opponent Jerry Evans, the owner of Wheaton’s Jerry Evans School of Music who describes himself as “a Christian, husband, father, and political outsider.” “I want to give back to the community that I love by serving in Congress for a short while and returning home to raise my kids and run my school,” Evans, 40, told us.  He also said he affirms the results of the 2020 election, is open to gun purchase background checks and supports a balanced budget amendment. U.S. Rep. Bill Foster on the floor during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 22, 2024. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Foster, a 69-year-old Democrat willing to work with Republicans, told us that he is committed to helping his constituents recover in a challenging economy by supporting “policies to restore the Child Tax Credit expansion, lower child care costs, expand SNAP benefits, build more affordable housing, bring down the cost of college, and strengthen the ACA to make healthcare more affordable.” Bill Foster is endorsed. 12th District The 12th District covers a broad swath of southern Illinois, spanning the Illinois-Missouri-Kentucky-Indiana border. In the primary, Republican incumbent Mike Bost, whom we endorsed, held off a challenge by the far-right farmer and former gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey. Bailey argued that Bost, a five-term congressman well liked by his mostly rural constituents in this safe Republican district, was insufficiently supportive of Donald Trump’s agenda. The Democratic challenger is Brian Roberts, a Carbondale attorney specializing in criminal defense. U.S. Rep. Mike Bost outside the Effingham Country Farm Bureau office, Jan. 24, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Bost, a 63-year-old Marine Corps veteran, has noted the importance of coal mining in southern Illinois and says he supports an “all-of-the above energy policy that makes use of all our nation’s resources.” That makes sense, as does his support for reducing taxes and government spending.  We disagree with him on abortion, to which he is “unapologetically opposed,” and we wish he supported background checks for weapons purchases. But this is a conservative district and local Republicans were right to hold off the extremism of Bailey. On the Democratic side, Roberts has not mounted enough of a serious campaign to merit this district jettisoning an experienced congressman known for bipartisan efforts and his strong service to constituents. Mike Bost is endorsed. 13th District This central Illinois district goes from Champaign–Urbana to the eastern St. Louis suburbs and includes Decatur and Springfield. The incumbent is 47-year-old Democrat Nikki Budzinski, a former labor activist who served as Gov. JB. Pritzker’s senior adviser on labor issues, as well as chief of staff for President Joe Biden’s Office of Management and Budget and who was elected with 57% of the vote in 2022. Her Republican opponent is U.S. Army veteran Joshua Loyd, a graduate of the West Point Military Academy who appears to be campaigning full time. In an informative interview with Illinois Public Radio, Budzinski said that Democrats needed to make a better case directly to the American people. She also talked about her support for women’s reproductive rights in terms of the right to privacy: “It is not the role of government to be in that doctor’s room when a woman is making that decision … as to what to do with her body.”  In general, we find Budzinski a smart and moderate politician and, impressively, she has been to the border with both Democratic and Republican colleagues and seen the problems there firsthand. “I have been critical of this administration in that it took too long to act,” she has said. Budzinski has also taken flak from the left for her support of Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack. U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, 13th, at the Democratic Party of Illinois’ gala fundraiser at the Field Museum in Chicago on Sept. 27, 2024. (Tess Crowley/Chicago Tribune) Loyd tells us that he believes the most pressing issue facing his district is the need to “reduce government spending and enact a governmental accounting system that standardizes all operations (better than what we have now).” He said he was vehemently opposed to U.S. forces becoming involved “on the ground” in the Middle East and he opposes aid to Ukraine in its fight against Vladimir Putin. Nikki Budzinski is endorsed.  14th District  The 14th District covers all or parts of Aurora, DeKalb, Granville, Joliet, Montgomery, Naperville, Oswego, Ottawa, Peru, Plainfield, Shorewood, Spring Valley, Sugar Grove, and Sycamore. The incumbent is Democrat Lauren Underwood, 38, a registered nurse who worked with the Obama administration on the Affordable Care Act and who won 54% of the vote in 2022. The Republican candidate is 61-year-old James Marter. He’s a software consultant and assuredly on the conservative end of his party, advocating (for example) for closing the U.S. border entirely until the wall is built. U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Underwood, whom we endorsed in 2020, told us she is “focused on lowering costs for families across northern Illinois and working together to grow the middle class.” She also said she firmly believes “bipartisan progress” is possible when it comes to immigration reform. When it comes to Ukraine, she told us she will “support America’s continued leadership to defend Ukrainian sovereignty, assist the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom, and hold Putin accountable.” Lauren Underwood is endorsed. 17th District  One of the more watched races in the nation, the contest in the 17th District is to represent a swath of north central Illinois, including Rockford, the Quad Cities, Bloomington and Peoria. The single-term Democratic incumbent is Eric Sorensen, a former meteorologist with 20 years experience as a local weatherman, and Republican opposition now comes from retired Illinois Judge Joe McGraw, whom we endorsed in the Republican primary and who has said he wants to reach out to so-called Reagan Democrats. We’ve listened to several of his radio interviews and McGraw generally projects an open, optimistic demeanor and emphasizes humility and his personal ethics, as well as the importance of the Constitution and the rule of law. “People don’t feel safe … and they worry that the American dream will be taken away from us,” he told radio station WGIL. He also talks of his experience as a trained mediator: “We each of us have to depart from extreme partisanship and get people to see the same reality.” Joe McGraw, Republican candidate for the 17th Congressional District, left, greets former state Sen. Darren Bailey during a rally at William Tree Farm, Oct. 8, 2024, in Rockton. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) Sorensen says this first (and so far only) term in Congress taught him that if you are willing to work across the aisle, bipartisan progress can be made. “For me,” he told us, “winning reelection to Congress means I can continue to advocate for my neighbors in Illinois, whose voices often aren’t heard.” Voters in the 17th District who worry about Republicans taking complete control of Congress (and possibly also the White House) are advised to carefully consider the national implications of this vote. But we see our job as looking at which candidate both reflects our principles and will ably represent their district and we think McGraw is the best match. Joe McGraw is endorsed. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected].