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.
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