The Republican side of the 76th District, which is centered on DeKalb, home to Northern Illinois University, and includes surrounding communities, features a battle between Liz Bishop, a 65-year-old retired bank examiner, and Crystal Loughran, 63, a teacher and tutor who has challenged Bishop before, always from the right.
We endorsed Bishop in 2024 and see no reason to change our minds this time around.
Bishop is a moderate who is much admired by a Republican leadership that hopes to win this seat, held by first-term Democrat Amy Briel, who defeated Bishop in 2024 by less than 600 votes. Some moderate Democrats may well find Bishop’s positions helpful to the state’s future: “By lowering the overall tax burden,” she told us, “we can attract new job creators, expand the tax base, and collect more taxes from a larger group of taxpayers. Most importantly, this would create more opportunities for our children once they enter the workforce, instead of driving them away to other states with more to offer.”
She also has some strongly held and centrist views on health care. “I would support legislation,” she told us, “to address the issues with health care disparities in Illinois, and I would fight to ensure each family can rely on nearby quality care for emergency services, routine care, and everything in between.”
Springfield Republicans sorely need such a candidate who can work across the aisle and we believe Bishop is the right choice for Republicans who’d like to see more members of their party in a position to curb Democratic excesses. In other words, by getting elected.
Liz Bishop is endorsed.
Read all of the Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements for the 2026 Illinois primary election here.
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
