Two years ago, Tonia Jane Khouri lost her bid for a congressional seat in a race against Bill Foster, D-Ill. Now she is running for the Legislature in this far west suburban district to replace retiring state Rep. Mike Fortner. She has used the last two years to gain a better understanding of issues affecting the state, and we endorse her.
Khouri, a DuPage County Board member, owns Aurora-based Green T Services, a home services company offering everything from lawn care and carpet cleaning to remodeling. It’s a business she and her husband built up from a two-person operation to one that has almost 200 employees — all of whom earn more than the minimum wage. She knows how to make a business work and balance a budget.
Khouri’s top priority is to ensure property taxes are levied fairly around the state so every area is paying its fair share. She thinks the state’s biggest issue is its declining population, which she says is largely due to high property taxes. She also says the state’s income tax increase should have been accompanied by reforms.
Also running is Wayne Township Trustee Nic Zito, the son of former Democratic state Sen. Greg Zito.
When Tonia Jane Khouri, who is running in the 49th Illinois House District Republican primary, visited the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board on Feb. 7, we asked her to introduce herself to voters. Watch Khouri’s response:
