Democratic 52nd District Illinois House candidates Erin Chan Ding and Maria Peterson have similar views on immigration enforcement and the Illinois TRUST Act.

The two Democratic hopefuls in the primary for the 52nd state House seat shared similar views during a weekend League of Women Voters candidate forum at the Barrington Area Public Library.

Yasmeen Bankole: Our rail infrastructure has lagged behind that of other advanced nations. It’s time to treat passenger rail not as an afterthought, but as a vital government service. Read Bankole's full election questionnaire here

Joe Sosnowski on the state's long-term pension obligations: We need to 1. move new employees to a 401K system; 2. continue to make full annual payments, and 3. increase the retirement age while not enhancing benefits. Read Sosnowski's full questionnaire here

Three Democratic candidates, vying for state offices in the March 2026 primary election, made a campaign stop in Sycamore this week, sharing their views on equity in education.

Maria Peterson: This is a common-sense approach: modernize our tax system to create a dedicated funding source, honor our past commitments, and ensure the system is fair for our current and future public servants. Read Peterson's full questionnaire here

Martin McLaughlin: I will continue to vote against any tax increases, and I will support property tax relief. Read McLaughlin's full questionnaire here

Karen Battaglia: Property taxes are one of the biggest pressures on families in our district, and school funding is a major driver of those costs. I believe we can provide relief to homeowners without shortchanging our schools. Read Battaglia's full questionnaire here

Republican candidates for Illinois governor said cooperating with local authorities and "handing over the bad guys" from the local jails to ICE would "stop the chaos" on the streets, as one candidate said.