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Cronin to make three major DuPage appointments

State's attorney and two senate posts on his list

He may have been elected DuPage County Board chairman Tuesday, but voters also unofficially made Dan Cronin a kingmaker as well.

Cronin's move to the chairman's post opens up his state senate seat and state Sen. Randy Hultgren's ascension to Congress opens up his post as well. Both offices have two years remaining on their respective terms.

Throw in the Illinois Supreme Court's decision to appoint DuPage State's Attorney Joe Birkett to a spot on the appellate court and that gives Cronin a lot of power to shape the future of county politics locally and in Springfield.

Cronin will have the authority to appoint a new state's attorney, though the county board has to approve the nomination. But that's usually a mere formality. And though state law says Republican leaders in Cook, Kane and Will counties have voices in the decision-making process to fill the senate seats, the votes are weighted in Cronin's favor. So much so in fact, that Cronin's decision could overrule any dissenting opinion from the other Republican leaders.

Downers Grove Mayor Ron Sandack is the rumored front-runner to replace Cronin on the Senate, according to area Republican officials.

“I feel like I'd be a quality candidate and would like to be considered,” Sandack said.

Cronin was out of town, but members of his camp said he hadn't made any decisions on replacements nor had he decided on the process for filling the vacancies.

Newly minted state Rep. Chris Nybo and longtime state Rep. Sandy Pihos are also interested in filling the vacancy. The two representatives' districts make up Cronin's senate district.

“With the exception of my friend Jim Durkin, we just achieved the largest margin of victory with the county among all Republican candidates running for federal, state and county office,” Nybo said. “I would consider the appointment and I'm flattered that many people have contacted me to say it would make a lot of sense.”

Pihos touted her experience within the district.

“It would be a very streamlined process for me to take over in that capacity,” Pihos said. “I think I'm the logical choice.”

Cronin's senate district bleeds slightly into Cook County. State law calls for Republican leaders from Cook County townships with voters in that district to have a say, Republican officials said. In this case that would be Comptroller-elect Judy Baar Topinka from Riverside Township and Mike Corrigan from Proviso Township. For this decision, Cronin's vote carries 84 percent of the power, according to Republican officials.

To replace Hultgren, Cronin has to confer with the Republican Party chairmen of both Will and Kane counties. For that selection, Cronin's vote carries 73.5 percent of the power.

The weighted votes are determined by voter totals from the district broken down by county, Republican officials said. In Cronin's current district there are 53,877 DuPage voters and a little more than 10,000 Cook voters. Hultgren's district has 57,069 DuPage voters and a little more than 20,000 voters from Will and Kane counties combined.

The state representative districts of Mike Fortner and Darlene Senger make up Hultgren's senate district. Fortner said he was interested in the promotion. Senger did not return calls.

For his part, Hultgren said he recognized that he had no official capacity in the decision-making process, but hope his opinion would carry some weight.

“I would think anyone who would have an interest would have some say,” he said.

Cronin has 30 days from the time he and Hultgren resign the seats to make the selections, according to state law.