Lesser seeking Lake County Board District 13 seat

Small business owner Rick Lesser announced he will run for the Lake County Board District 13 seat.

The Republican from Lake Bluff is the co-founder of the law firm Lesser, Lutrey & McGlynn, LLP, and also served two terms as trustee on the Lake Bluff village board.

Lesser and another former Lake Bluff trustee, David Barkhausen, will face off in the March, 2012 Republican primary for Lake County Board District 13.

District 13 serves the Lake Bluff and Lake Forest areas, including portions of Gurnee, Grayslake, Gages Lake and Wildwood. Republican Susan Loving Gravenhorst is the incumbent, but she has not yet announced whether she will seek re-election.

Lesser said he firmly opposes property tax increases and promoted a partnership between the village of Lake Bluff and retailers that resulted in 100 percent retail space occupancy and a vibrant central business district.

“I am not a career politician,” he said. “I’m an active member of the community and a small-business man who understands the vital role job creators play in putting our talented Lake County residents to work again.

He has served as unpaid president of the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce, Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Rotary Club, Lake County Bar Association, Lake County Bar Foundation, Lake County Estate Planning Council, and Deerfield Optimist Club.

“I’ve been an advocate for individuals and small businesses my entire life, and to use that experience to serve my community would be an honor,” Lesser said. “I will work to give a voice on the county board to every resident of the 13th District, and to remain accessible and visible to the constituents I serve.”