Since being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., has quickly climbed the ladder.

In 2018, she was elected to run the party’s political arm in the House, the DCCC. That’s meant a more prominent national profile; Bustos can be seen regularly on the cable networks.

But don’t let anybody tell you that she has gone Washington, D.C.

Cheri Bustos still works hard for her constituents. For farmers wanting new markets. For kids in Galesburg endangered by lead in their water. For the Rock Island Arsenal. For a continued federal commitment to the long-delayed passenger rail link between Chicago and the Quad-Cities.

No matter the issue, Bustos is laboring every day to help the 17th Congressional District, which she travels relentlessly.

This year, she faces a challenge from Esther Joy King, a Republican lawyer from East Moline who also is in the Army Reserves.

King is a relative newcomer to this district, but we admire her military service. We also appreciate that she has worked to get to know this district and its needs.

Unfortunately, she is trying to make the case that Bustos has lost touch. We respect her point of view; we just don’t agree with it. The facts just don’t back it up. That’s why we endorse Cheri Bustos in the race for the 17th Congressional District.