ENDORSEMENT: Anthony Clark for Congress in 7th District Democratic primary

The people of the 7th Congressional District deserve a representative who will work for them with vigor. Incumbent Rep. Danny Davis, though we have endorsed him many times in the past, is no longer that person.

Our endorsement goes to Anthony Clark, a young Air Force veteran, community organizer and teacher at Oak Park and River Forest High School. Clark is founder of the Suburban Unity Alliance, a not-for-profit organization that, among other causes, worked for the creation of a Welcoming Village Ordinance in Oak Park — in defense of undocumented immigrants — and the establishment of an Indigenous Peoples Day in Oak Park.

In recent years, Davis has little to show in the way of substantive legislation for which he was the main driver, and his congressional attendance could be better. In 2018, he ranked 21st among the 435 voting House members in missed votes. In 2019, in an improvement, he ranked 106th.

Davis exudes good will and grace, but the 7th District needs more.

The district includes some of the most economically depressed communities in Illinois, stretching through the West and South Sides of Chicago. It deserves a representative who is impatient to change the world, which might be Clark’s best trait. Clark got 26 percent of the vote against Davis in the 2018 Democratic primary.

Sure, we would like to see a more accomplished and seasoned candidate take on Davis. But candidates of that caliber almost never do because they know the odds of defeating the popular Davis are poor. They are waiting for him to retire.

Clark isn’t waiting, so give him some credit. Also running are community organizer Kina Collins and attorney and activist Kristine Schanbacher.

Illustration by Caroline Hurley

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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