DuPage's political pendulum swings in favor of the GOP

DuPage County reclaimed its role as a Republican stronghold in Tuesday's election - just two years after Democrats appeared to be making significant inroads.

In 2012, DuPage voters supported President Barack Obama and elected a handful of local Democrats, leading some to believe the county's political base was shifting.

That shift came to a halt - at least for now - on Tuesday when Republican Bruce Rauner received nearly 61 percent of the DuPage vote en route to his victory over Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn.

Rauner's success appeared to trickle down the ballot to help fellow Republicans who cruised to victories in every contested county and forest preserve race. Even Darlene Senger, who lost her bid for the 11th Congressional seat, received more votes in DuPage than Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster.

"Last night's results suggest that DuPage has shifted from trending purple to back into the slightly red area," said Phillip Hardy, an assistant political science professor at Benedictine University in Lisle. "There still are plenty of Republicans in areas of DuPage County."

Nowhere was that more apparent than in county board District 6, which includes all or parts of Roselle, Bartlett, Hanover Park, Bloomingdale, Glendale Heights, Carol Stream, Wayne, West Chicago, Warrenville, Aurora, Naperville, Wheaton and Winfield.

Two years ago, voters in that district elected Democrat Shannon Burns to the DuPage Forest Preserve Commission and Democrat Laurie Nowak to the county board.

This time, the two Republicans Burns and Nowak beat in 2012 - Al Murphy and Kevin Wiley - turned the tables and won easily.

"I think the mood of voters has shifted," said Murphy, who will replace Burns on the forest preserve commission. "They're a little bit more conservative."

Wiley said he believes he beat Nowak because his message resonated with voters.

"Last time, I was running against a person without a record," Wiley said. "This time, the person had a record. And I was able to accentuate my experience better as a result."

DuPage GOP Party Chairman Darlene Ruscitti said Republicans got a boost because many voters are upset with what's been happening in Springfield.

"People are fed up with the condition of our state," she said. "They spoke last night."

But Robert Peickert, DuPage Democratic Party chairman, said Burns and Nowak are very strong candidates who ran great campaigns.

Peickert, who came up far short in his own attempt to unseat DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, attributed his party's losses to a national backlash against Democratic politicians.

"If you look at some of the races we've had in the past, when the presidential candidate does well, we do well," Peickert said. "Right now, President Obama - as great of a job as he's done - has low approval ratings. We seem to fall in line with how the president is looked upon."

North Central College political science professor Stephen Maynard Caliendo acknowledged there's "anti-Obama frustration."

Still, Caliendo said the key to the GOP's success in DuPage was voter turnout, which was roughly 48 percent. Two years ago, voter turnout in the county was nearly 72 percent for the national election.

"You always say in off-year elections, 'Turnout, turnout, turnout,'" Caliendo said. "That's what really matters. The Democrats didn't do a good job of getting their people to the polls. The Republicans did."

Democrat Jeremy Custer, who lost his race with longtime county board member Grant Eckhoff, agrees.

He said it's also why he still believes DuPage is a purple county.

"It's a purple county in the sense that it's going to be blue in presidential years," said Custer, who managed state Sen. Tom Cullerton's successful campaign two years ago. "It's going to be red during midterm elections."

Peickert said he's already looking ahead to the 2016 presidential election. In the meantime, the local party will be active and aggressive in trying to get its message out.

"All we need to do is continue to talk about issues that are important to the people of DuPage," Peickert said. "Hopefully, we can gain their support next time."