Candidates For State Rep, County Board To Face Off In Online Forum

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Curious about where your state and county candidates stand on critical issues? Next week is your chance to find out.

With the election fast approaching, the Leagues of Women Voters of Highland Park-Highwood, Deerfield-Lincolnshire, Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Area and Lake County are sponsoring online candidate forums for the 58th District in the Illinois House and the 12th District on the Lake County Board.

The state representative forum is due to begin at 7 p.m. on Sept. 26, with the county board forum to follow shortly after 7:45 p.m., according to organizers.

"The candidates will answer as many questions as possible, submitted by the public on the registration form," organizers said.

The 58th District includes all or parts of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Glencoe, Highwood, Highland Park, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Northbrook and North Chicago.

Incumbent Democrat Bob Morgan is a healthcare attorney who served as the first statewide coordinator for Illinois' medical cannabis program. Last year, he sponsored the Protect Illinois Communities Act, which banned assault rifles statewide.

Republican challenger Carl Lambrecht is a precinct committeeperson in Moraine Township and the second-generation owner of a Highland Park precision optics manufacturing firm. He ran for Township High School District 113 board back in 2011.

Meanwhile, the 12th District includes all of Deerfield and Bannockburn, west Highland Park, and west Lake Forest.

Paras Parekh, the Democratic incumbent on the county board, is a marketing director for a pharmaceutical company who promotes environmental protection, support for small business and low property taxes. His campaign touts his work with state and federal lawmakers to get more than $100 million in funding for stormwater management projects in Highland Park and Lake Forest and saving $11 million by refinancing Lake County Forest Preserve District bonds.

Republican challenger Andrew Dalkin is a Glencoe native, New Trier High School graduate and former Cook County Assistant State's Attorney who now lives in Lake Forest. After two decades as a prosecutor, he became a criminal defense attorney and an investigator for the Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability, or COPA, before his current job as a lawyer for police in Chicago, Waukegan and other agencies.

Voters are encouraged to submit questions ahead of a Sept. 19 deadline through the Zoom registration form.

The event will be moderated by a League of Women Voters-trained moderator who resides outside the districts, according to organizers.

Multilingual captions will also be provided to ensure accessibility for Spanish-speaking attendees, making this an inclusive opportunity for voters to engage directly with those seeking their vote.