A Chicago lawmaker is leaving the war zone in Springfield for the one in Iraq.
Rep. Susana Mendoza (D-1st) will pack up her duffle bags for Baghdad's Green Zone to monitor that war-torn nation’s elections, which are set for March 7, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The Southwest Side lawmaker, who served in the Illinois House since 2001, knows how to survive in a grueling, explosive environment.
Mendoza will be on the frontlines next month for Governor Pat Quinn’s budget address, which will likely drip of red ink. Images of the speech are already flashing through her mind.
Mendoza, whose efforts were recently acknowledged by The National Foundation for Women Legislators and the U.S. Department of State, said it “may remind me a little bit of Baghdad.”
Dealing with the chaos in Springfield makes Mendoza perfect for her new mission.
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