Bill Foster Elected to Congress
Bill Foster, the former Fermilab physicist, won the special election to replace Speaker Dennis Hastert in the House of Representatives for the next eleven months. There will be a regular election with the rest of the country in November, for a full term of two years. The margin of victory, 53-47, would be respectable anywhere, but is a stunning upset in a heavily Republican district: Foster ran as a Democrat.
Foster was the first political candidate endorsed by the Almanack. Science is at the core of so many national issues. Yet, so few in Congress display a scientific frame of mind. We cringe when otherwise responsible politicians deny evolution, get overly excited over climate change theories, or diagnose a neurological condition just by watching someone on TV. Even basic arithmetic is suspect, when miracles are preferred over mere mathematics.
Foster’s victory is not going to put an end to any of this. It was probably caused by larger political factors rather than any new enthusiasm for science. After all, Chicago is the epicenter of the Obama phenomenon and Foster had his support.
Nevertheless, we take joy in Foster’s victory and wish him well in the tougher contest he will face in November.
