Illinois 59th House District: Didech, Feldman Win Nominations

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL — The race for the north suburban 59th District Illinois House being vacated by retiring Rep. Carol Sente (D-Vernon Hills) featured cross-generational competitive primary fights on both parties' ballots. On the Republican side, Karen Feldman, a 49-year-old residential realtor and village trustee defeated Marko Sukovic, 23-year-old political operative and college senior who last month filed a lawsuit against her alleging defamation. Among Democrats, the 31-year-old township supervisor and municipal attorney Daniel Didech defeated 53-year-old attorney Susan Malter who led shifts of lawyers at O'Hare to assist those affected by the president's travel bans.

With all precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Didech winning by a margin of more than 20 points and Feldman cruising to victory by about 18 points.

59th House District Republican Primary Results

• Karen Feldman – 58.8% (1,869) (Projected winner)
• Marko Sukovic – 41.2 % (1,312)

59th House District Democratic Primary Results

• Daniel Didech – 60.6% (4,272) (Projected winner)
• Susan Malter – 39.4% (2,781)

The ongoing lawsuit on the GOP side resulted from a suit Sukovic filed suit against Feldman and the House Republican Organization over several mailers. He alleged they were defamatory for suggesting he would a puppet of House Speaker Mike Madigan.

Feldman was removed from the lawsuit after the treasurer of her political committee, Dave Krahn – also the treasurer for the HRO – signed an affidavit attesting that he was fully responsible for the mailers. Feldman, he swore, was not consulted and offered no input about the advertisements.

On the Democratic side, Didech declared his candidacy for the seat just months after his election as township supervisor. In that role, he has clashed with the Republican Vernon Township Assessor Gary Raupp over staffing issues and allegations of sexist bullying. Malter criticized the supervisor's response as unprofessional and unproductive, suggesting he had not taken initial complaints from women in Raupp's office seriously enough.

Didech said he is the only candidate in the contest in either party "whose campaign has not resorted to childish personal attacks about another candidate." He has received an endorsement of Sente, who has held the seat since 2009, and other local party leaders. Malter described herself as "the only candidate in this race who is willing to stand up to Michael Madigan."

The 59th District includes much of Buffalo Grove, Mundelein, Wheeling and Vernon Hills and portions of Green Oaks, Gurnee, Indian Creek, Knollwood, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Mettawa, Mundelein, North Chicago, Northbrook, Park City, Prairie View, Riverwoods, Deerfield and Waukegan.

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When it comes to endorsements for candidates in the 59th House District, who's supporting who in both of the contested Illinois 59th House District primaries:

Republicans

Karen Feldman (Questionnaire, Candidate Profile)

• Chicago Daily Herald
• U.S. Korean Republican
• House Republican Organization

Marko Sukovic (Questionnaire, Candidate Profile)

• Chicago Sun-Times
• Chicago Tribune
• Former Congressman Robert Dold
• Warren Township GOP Chairman Don Wilson
• Lake County Right to Life President Bonnie Quirke
• Mundelein Trustee Dawn Abernathy
• Mundelein Trustee Ray Semple
• Mundelein Trustee Kersten Russell
• Wheeling/Prospect Heights Chamber of Commerce President Joe Vito
• Bannockburn School Board Member Jake Leahy
• Former Lincolnshire Mayor Brett Blomberg
• Luis Fuentes - Mundelein Latino Police Academy
• Republican Assembly of Lake County
• Republicans of Wheeling Township
• Fremont Township Republican Party

Democrats

Daniel Didech (Questionnaire, Candidate Profile)

• Chicago Sun-Times
• Rep. Carol Sente
• Rep. Sam Yingling
• Sen. Terry Link
• Sen. Melinda Bush
• Vernon Hills Trustee Thom Koch Jr.
• Vernon Hills Trustee Jim Schultz
• Buffalo Grove Trustee Andy Stein
• Lake County Commissioner Vance Wyatt
• Former Rep. Kathy Ryg
• Former Mundelein Trustee Holly Kim
• Former 59th District Candidate Tim Kobler
• Vernon Township Democrats
• AFL-CIO
• AFSCME
• Illinois Nurses Association
• Illinois Federation of Teachers
• Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois
• Local 881 United Food & Commercial Workers
• National Association of Social Workers
• Gun Violence Prevention PAC
• Planned Parenthood Action Illinois
• Personal PAC
• Sierra Club
• Stand for Children IL PAC
• Equality Illinois

Susan Malter (Questionnaire, Candidate Profile)

• Chicago Daily Herald
• Chicago Tribune
• Former Buffalo Grove Mayor Elliott Hartstein
• Mothers Against Wrongful Convictions
• Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction

Related:

• Candidates Declare Runs For Open 59th District State Rep Seat
• Candidate Sues Republican Primary Opponent Over Madigan Mailers
• Primary Opponent Criticizes Township Supervisor For Response To Harassment Scandal