ENDORSEMENTS: 6 candidates facing tough challenges who need your support in Democratic primary

Voter turnout likely will be low, but lines could be long.

Polling places could be short on judges, and some last-minute judges might not be well trained.

Dozens of polling places will have been recently relocated, which could create confusion.

All because of the coronavirus.

Given the uncertainties surrounding Tuesday’s elections in Illinois because of COVID-19, we’d like to reemphasize today our endorsements in four key Democratic primary races that could be close.

Illinois Supreme Court

We urge voters in the 1st District, which includes Cook County, to support Justice P. Scott Neville Jr., who was appointed to the state’s high court in 2018 to replace the first and only African American on the court, Charles Freeman.

Neville, who also is African American, is widely respected for his deep understanding of the law, his preparation for oral arguments and his thorough reading of briefs. He is an experienced jurist known for his commitment to fair treatment for everyone.

Neville is notably active in efforts to improve the court system, as well. He supports making recordings mandatory in civil courtrooms, for example, so that average people who can’t afford stenographers have access to the documentation they need to file appeals.

Of the seven candidates in this race, Neville has been awarded the highest cumulative rating from 13 bar associations. Two other leading candidates — Shelly A. Harris and Daniel Epstein — have been given multiple “not recommended” or “not qualified” ratings from those bar associations.

Neville deserves your vote.

Rich Hein/Sun-Times

Cook County state’s attorney

The local airwaves have been deluged with ads for candidates for state’s attorney. But that’s just money talking. The best of the bunch is still the incumbent, Kim Foxx.

Foxx has freed more than 80 wrongfully convicted men and women. She expunged thousands of low-level pot convictions after the state legalized the use of recreational marijuana. She has increased, by 25%, the use of alternatives to prosecution for nonviolent offenders, giving them a better chance to turn their lives around.

Kim Foxx promised to make the state’s attorney’s office more just while still going hard on violent offenders — and she has. She has earned a second term.

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

To vote for the three best candidates in this race, skip down to the names in the fifth, sixth and seventh positions — M. Cameron “Cam” Davis, Kimberly Neely DuBuclet and Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda. They are knowledgeable, experienced and forward-thinking. They are the best equipped candidates to push the agency toward an environmentally friendly and financially sound future.

Rich Hein/Sun-Times

31^st Illinois House District

Every so often, a newcomer comes along who’s the real deal, with the resume, judgment and personal skills to go a long way. That describes Samantha Simpson, who would be a strong addition to the Illinois House. For six years, she was a senior manager at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where she helped set the agenda. She has a master’s degree from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.

Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.