By Angela Clay Thomas –
February 15, State representative Linda Chapa LaVia accepted an appointment to lead Illinois’ Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Chapa LaVia’s departure from the 83rd House District, which includes most of the West Side of Aurora and portions of the East Side of Aurora and North Aurora, means residents will have a new voice in the legislature for the first time in 17 years.
What an exciting opportunity before us! It’s rare that politicians decide not to seek reelection and create an opening for others who want to serve. Nothing but lack of desire keeps some individuals from running for office, but let’s be honest. Once someone is in office as the incumbent, he or she is tough to beat. Incumbents have the advantage of name recognition; they have a track record to point to, think of it what you will; and incumbents enjoy the security of party-machine backing, the big-name endorsements and bigger campaign contributions. This truism was certainly the case for Chapa LaVia, hence why she was never challenged, in the 17 years she was in office.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020 a new representative for Aurora’s 83rd House District likely will be determined through the Democratic Primary Election. Whoever comes out on top will have to go on to the General Election in November 2019, but given the make-up of the District, it will be all but a done deal for the Democratic Party primary winner. If you’re wondering what happens with the vacated 83rd House seat between now and the 2020 Primary Election, here’s where we are and where things are headed.
Within days of Chapa LaVia’s resigning from office, she, other elected officials, and local Democratic Party leaders started being advocates for their preferred replacement. Four candidates offering a wide range of experiences stepped forward to be considered (Full disclosure, my husband was one). Had the resumes been put side-by-side with the names removed, and the average resident allowed to assess the qualifications one person clearly would have stood out. Regrettably, the outcome seems to prove what we all know, but hate to admit: In life it’s not what you know, but who you know. March 7, Barbara Hernandez, the 26-year-old staff member and mentee of Chapa LaVia, was sworn to complete the term for the 83rd House District.
It’s important to outline these details because the residents of IL’s 83rd House District need to know that the current representative was selected, not elected. Not only that, the selection was made by three individuals on behalf of more than 108,000 residents who live in the 83rd District. Without an opportunity to hear directly from the four candidates, ask questions about priorities and convictions, weigh each person’s skills and experience, residents of the 83rd House District are stuck with what we got. That is unacceptable.
As the State with the worst fiscal-health in the Nation, Illinois cannot afford to lose any more time addressing our problems. Every family and community is counting on the collective smarts and savvy of our legislators to fix what’s wrong with the pension system, school funding, and taxes, to reduce the State’s $2.8 Billion budget deficit.
The task before us now, individually and as a community, is to know for ourselves whether the selection made was the right one. Will we see Ms Hernandez hit the ground running upon arriving in Springfield? Will she prove to be knowledgeable about legislative process; adept at building alliances; confident in questioning; comfortable advocating and pushing back; and leading on the tough decisions?
Until someone is elected, the 83rd House District is an open seat, there is no incumbent. The 108,000 plus residents of the District have the right and responsibility to decide who can best represent them, not a three-person committee of partisan insiders. The IL 83rd House seat is a public office that belongs to the people. Shame on the one who thinks, or worse, acts as though it belongs to a single person, or controlling faction.
For the people, by the people: March 17, 2020. It is only through an open process that welcomes every voice and protects each vote that we will be assured that the representative for the IL 83rd House District is not just willing, but able. Aurora, second largest city in the State, you deserve nothing less!
Angela Clay Thomas is a Kane County Board member representing District 4.