This is what an Illinois moderate looks like ...

Lauren Underwood is the Congresswoman from the 14th District of Illinois, located just west of Chicago. This place is 89.9% urban, 85.8% White, and boasts a comfortably above average median income of $92K. The Cook Political Report assigns it a rating of R+5, meaning that historically its voters have been 5 points more Republican than the national average.

Recently Congresswoman Underwood told the tale of how she won election in San Francisco. Now 31, she's completed a nursing degree and served as a health policy wonk in the Department of Health and Human Services. At the change of administration, she went home to Napierville, IL and started "living my best life." She appealed to her Republican Congressman not to destroy the gains in health care access created by Obamacare. He promised not to -- and then voted for the House health care bill that would have gutted the ACA.

And so, Underwood became a candidate for Congress. There were seven (!) aspirants for the Democratic endorsement in her primary -- she beat all of them with 57 percent of the vote.

How'd she do that? She listened to people, especially women, often in kitchens, usually named Pat or Barb or Marge. She knocked on doors where no one had seen a Democrat in years.

She found out what her potential constituents cared about: the cost of health care, especially surprise bills for emergency visits; kids in cages on the border; that their Republican Congressman didn't seem to be listening to them.

In November 2018, she won by 8 percentage points. The district had voted for Trump by 4 percentage points and even last fall went for the Republican candidate who lost the governor's mansion to a Democrat.

Some secrets of Underwood's success from my notes:

"Nursing training taught me to go in to a person and build trust quickly." ... "You can mobilize more [potential] voters than you can persuade." ... [Since taking office,] "I work for the people of the 14th district. I am not here to respond to the news of the day. I work to pass my bills. It is not my job to comment on everything that happens." ... "Be careful how you speak. Do not speak in anger. This stuff lives forever." ... "If I keep my job, the Democratic vision will have won."

Underwood seems a rare, inspiring, political talent -- and perhaps a reminder to Californians that not all great champions of decency need to be fire-breathers. Republicans think they can take this congressional seat back. The Congresswoman has other plans; see more at Underwood for Congress.