The start of a new session of Congress last week meant saying goodbye to a longtime advocate for McHenry County.

Don Manzullo represented Illinois’ 16th Congressional District, which used to include much of McHenry County, for two decades. Even if we questioned some of the decisions he made during those 20 years, we can’t deny that Manzullo was an unabashed proponent for McHenry County, even though he lived in Egan.

He first took office in 1993, and his tenure was marked by his support in particular for small businesses and manufacturing. He often served on House committees that focused on those areas, and he founded the House’s manufacturing caucus. He promoted the county’s small businesses at every turn, and secured millions to benefit manufacturing and economic growth in the county.