ENDORSEMENT: Juan Thomas for Illinois House in 83rd District Democratic primary

Thomas, a lawyer, has a long history of serving his community and profession.

SHARE ENDORSEMENT: Juan Thomas for Illinois House in 83rd District Democratic primary
Endorsement, Juan Thomas, Illinois House of Representatives, 83rd District, 2020 primary election

Juan Thomas is endorsed by the Sun-Times for Illinois House in the 83rd District Democratic primary.

Rich Hein/Sun-Times

Hands down, Juan Thomas is the better qualified candidate in this Democratic primary to advocate for the people of the 83rd District, which includes Aurora and North Aurora. 

Thomas, a lawyer and ordained minister, has a long history of serving his community and profession. From 2017 to 2018, he was president of the National Bar Association, a group with some 65,000 African American lawyers, judges and law students as members. During his tenure, the association created an LGBTQ division for members. At the time, Thomas said it was important to the association’s standing as a leading civil rights organization. 

Thomas has been active in Aurora as well, going back to the 1990s when he was elected to the West Aurora School District 129 board. He still serves the school district as a member of its foundation’s board of directors. He also has been active in the NAACP’s DuPage County branch.

Our reading of Thomas is that he would not be reluctant to stand up, when necessary, to the leaders of his own Democratic Party. He gets our nod over the incumbent representative Barbara Hernandez, who was appointed to the seat in 2019. 


Illinois House 83rd District.

Illinois House 83rd District.

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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