On the basis of his experience in the U.S. House of Representatives and his commitment to education and death penalty reform, NU alumnus and Democrat Rod Blagojevich wins our endorsement for Illinois governor.

Since 1996, Blagojevich has represented Illinois’ ninth district in Congress, distinguishing himself as a representative not overly beholden to partisan interests and a strong advocate for educational opportunity, minorities and the environment.

Moving forward, Blagojevich has a thorough plan for improving public education that includes using 51 percent of all new revenues for education and making sure that all children can read by third grade. He would also support the desperately needed expansion of O’Hare International Airport instead of building a new airport that would threaten Chicago’s strategic position as a hub — and threaten the jobs its airports bring.

Most importantly, he stands as a strong alternative to the Republican candidate, Attorney General Jim Ryan. Although Ryan is interested in increasing the investment in education, according to a questionnaire from Project Vote Smart, he also supports a number of controversial changes that we do not, including teacher-led school prayer and hanging the Ten Commandments in schools. He also does not support laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

And although both candidates say they want to reform the death penalty, we are skeptical of Ryan’s dedication to the issue. Ryan was the DuPage County state’s attorney during both of the first two trials of Rolando Cruz, who was finally acquitted in 1995 after being sentence to death. Although Ryan says he sees the need for reform, his behavior in the Cruz case speaks otherwise, raising potential warning flags.

In light of Blagojevich’s experience and vision, he wins our endorsement for Illinois governor.