Old friend helps Lauzen in Kane chairman race
Republicans Chris Lauzen and Steve Rauschenberger were tagged as anti-establishment candidates from the first time they won state Senate seats in 1992.
Just last year they teamed up outside the Kane County Board's chambers to decry mishandling of the state budget by Democrats, causing the county board to downsize its health department. Lauzen specifically knocked the efforts of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees to move the county to the front of the line for state payments to save the jobs of its union members.
Now, Lauzen and Rauschenberger will team up again with Rauschenberger serving as campaign chairman for Lauzen's bid to become the next Kane County Board chairman.
Rauschenberger is known for clashing with members of his own party during his political career. He'll lead a team of seated county board members who have had their own battles within the local Kane County Republican Party and with county board Chairman Karen McConnaughay, who is running for state Senate in the new 33rd District.
Rauschenberger will try to rally support for Lauzen from his previous electoral base in Elgin, Carpentersville and the Dundee area. Also backing Lauzen are county board members Jim Mitchell, Barb Wojnicki, T.R. Smith and Drew Frasz. Richard Hawks will lead Lauzen's campaign efforts in the Aurora area.
Frasz said he decided to back Lauzen after no GOP county board member decided to enter the chairman's race. Frasz said he respects how McConnaughay has performed in office — and Lauzen's challenger, Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns — but said Kane County needs someone with Lauzen's certified public accountant background to lead the county through the poor economy.
“I don't know that any one of us on the team would say that we're completely on opposite sides from Karen,” Frasz said. “I have a real respect for that position no matter who is in it. I do respect what Karen's done, but politically we are in different camps. I also like Kevin Burns, but sometimes politics forces you to pick a side. I think Chris and Kevin are coming from two different worlds.”
Mitchell, who is not seeking re-election to the county board, said Lauzen will usher in the reform Kane County needs by introducing a new way of doing business.
“Chris is an honest man,” Mitchell said. “He believes in saving taxpayers money, doing what's right and having a budget that doesn't center on taking care of friends and political allies. Too many people run for political office for the power and to see what they can get out of it. Chris isn't interested in any of that.”
Burns is expected to announce his own campaign team within the next few days.
Rauschenberger could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday.