ENDORSEMENT: Adrienne Irmer for Ill. House in 25th District Democratic primary

This year, one state House race stands out in importance for Chicago’s South Side and, really, the entire city.

Enormous investment is poised to pour into the 25th House District for the Barack Obama Presidential Center and a golf course renovation in Jackson Park. The University of Chicago Medical Center is opening an adult trauma care center, and the nearby DuSable Museum of African American History will have an opportunity to be better than ever.

This district needs a forceful representative in Springfield and ensure that all this new development — all this new opportunity for the South Side — is carried out wisely, bringing with it the greatest possible benefit.

In a large field with several well-qualified candidates vying to replace retiring longtime state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, we endorse Adrienne Irmer. She has a thorough grasp of the issues and understands what’s at stake. She has 15 years of experience working for nonprofits and government, most recently as legislative coordinator for Cook County’s Bureau of Asset Management.

Irmer’s top priorities would be to push for a graduated income tax via a constitutional amendment and for the legalization of recreational marijuana. She wants to work for better access to mass transit in the district and find more money for the public schools and infrastructure. The district, she says, suffers from disparity in access to resources, opportunity, health outcomes, investment and environmental protection.

Also running in this south lakefront district are Anne Marie Miles, whom we endorsed for alderman in 2015; Angelique N. Collins; Curtis J. Tarver II; Ebonie S. Davis; Flynn Rush; William Calloway, and Grace Chan McKibben.

When the Democrats running in the 25th Illinois House District Democratic primary visited the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board on Jan. 25, we asked each to introduce themselves to voters. Watch Adrienne Irmer’s response: