Two years ago, the Republican Party establishment in this district failed to field a candidate in the GOP primary.
That allowed a neo-Nazi, running uncontested, to get on the ballot in the November general election.
The GOP vowed never to let that happen again, and they’re proving true to their word. The neo-Nazi, whom we won’t dignify by naming, is running in the primary again this year, but a credible “real” Republican — Mike Fricilone — is on the ballot as well.
We endorse Fricilone, a third-term member of the Will County Board. Fricilone, a furniture salesman, is a by-the-numbers conservative Republican — anti-abortion, anti-taxes and pro-repeal of the Affordable Care Act. He believes the impeachment of President Donald Trump was a “partisan scam” and praises the president for “draining the swamp.”
We don’t agree with much of that, but Fricilone is a sound choice for 3rd District voters who do.
Fricilone entered the race to block out the neo-Nazi, but also because he sees an opening to win it all. If the incumbent conservative Democrat, Dan Lipinski, is defeated in the Democratic primary by a lefty challenger, Marie Newman, Fricilone predicts a Republican can prevail in November. He predicts the social conservative voters who have gone with Lipinski for years, whatever their party affiliation, now would go with him.
Also running in the Republican primary is Catherine O’Shea, a real estate broker from Oak Lawn.
For more information about this race and others, including candidate questionnaires, go to our Illinois primary voting guide. Our newspaper is owned by a group of civic-minded and, in some cases, politically active investors; for details, see our owner information page.
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