Democrat: David Miller

Although State Representative David Miller represents the Far South Side and the south suburbs, he’s had an impact in this community. An alumnus of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Dentistry, he’s worked for state funding for the College, helping its educational and community health care missions. Most legislators want to use the University of Illinois as a convenient place to take money from during the current budget crisis. Miller, instead, has found ways to support it.

As a member of the General Assembly, Miller has proposed legislation that has provided better access to health care, education, economic development, and consumer protections, and he has worked to reform the payday loan industry. His peers have acknowledged his leadership, electing him assistant majority leader of the Illinois House.

He is a better choice for state comptroller, the state’s chief fiscal officer, than his Democratic opponents. They are attorneys Raja Krishnamoorthi and Clint Krislov, who never have held public office. The Gazette endorses David Miller for state comptroller in the Democratic primary.

Republican: Judy Baar Topinka

Judy Baar Topinka is back. As a former state treasurer, state senator, and state representative, she understands Illinois finances. During her tenure as treasurer, the state earned record amounts of income on investments — something we need today. As state comptroller, she would work to “end the culture of borrowing that has saddled Illinois with record-high debt and a shrinking jobs base,” she said.

Sounds good to us. Topinka would bring experience and vision to the office, moreso than her opponents Jim Dodge, an Orland Park Village trustee, and William Kelly, a television sports show host. The Gazette endorses Judy Baar Topinka for state comptroller in the Republican primary.