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Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
Politics
CST Editorial Board

ENDORSEMENT: Patrick Joyce for Illinois Senate in 40th District

Patrick Joyce is endorsed by the Sun-Times in the Illinois Senate 40th District general election. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

“Constituent service on steroids” is how Democratic state Sen. Patrick Joyce describes his practical, problem-solving approach to representing this district that includes parts of Cook, Grundy, Kankakee and Will counties.

Joyce has built a track record of accomplishment in his 10 months in office. Since COVID-19 hit, his office has worked with small businesses seeking relief loans and helped the newly unemployed navigate the state’s troubled unemployment claims system.

Before the pandemic, Joyce secured $7 million from the state to help pay for a Kankakee River dredging project to address flooding. He also brokered talks to force a private water company, Aqua Illinois, to provide more bottled water and faucet filters to University Park residents, many of whom still have lead in their water a year after problems with Aqua’s water management first were reported.

Joyce has proposed legislation that would help Pembroke Township, where residents still rely on propane gas and wood-burning for heat, to get a natural gas pipeline.

Joyce, of Essex, gets our endorsement over his Republican challenger, Flossmoor resident Eric Wallace.


Illinois Senate 40th District map.

To read more Sun-Times endorsements, please go to suntimes.com/political-endorsements. For more information about this race and others, including candidate questionnaires, go to our Illinois 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.

Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.

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