Widow appointed to fill husband's Kane County Board term
A Kane County Board appointment viewed as a potential slap in the face to local Democrats turned into a hug Tuesday when Chairman Chris Lauzen selected Maria Vazquez to serve out the remainder of her late husband's term.
Last week, Aurora Democrats named Maria Vazquez as their choice to serve out the 20 months left on her husband Jesse Vazquez's term. He died at age 51 of a heart attack at the beginning of the year. The party went as far as to say it would be a “slap in the face” if Lauzen chose anyone else.
Despite that, it seemed as if Lauzen might go with a different choice. Lauzen and Jesse Vazquez were frequent rivals on the county board. And in interviews, both Lauzen and local Democrats pointed to the law about appointments putting the power in his hands to name any Democrat he wished as long as a majority of the county board agreed. Lauzen has generally held a bipartisan majority of support for all his policies so far.
But on Tuesday, Lauzen came out in strong support of Maria Vazquez.
“I believe that Maria is the right person for the job,” Lauzen said. “No one represents Jesse Vazquez' mind and heart better than his wife, Maria. They shared the same dream for their neighborhood. Effectively, they campaigned together, and she supported Jesse's work every step of the way.”
But Lauzen's speech may have been in favor of another candidate if not for some behind-the-scenes campaigning by Aurora Democrat and county board member Theresa Barreiro. Several county board members acknowledged Barreiro brokered a meeting between Lauzen and Maria Vazquez that tipped the scales in her favor.
Barreiro, who has known Maria for 25 years, said her efforts were just a matter of ensuring Lauzen and Vazquez could talk about any concerns or misconceptions they had about each other.
“You may meet somebody or know somebody, but you don't really know them until you sit down with them,” Barreiro said. “You have to talk to them and find out what they are all about and what their interests are. You hear all kinds of things, but you have no idea until you meet somebody. So I set it up. And it turned out to be a good deal.”
The nomination avoided what may have been an awkward vote for Democrats on the board if Lauzen's choice bucked their party's wishes. That other person would have been Mary Michelini, the former longtime Montgomery Village president. Lauzen gave her a “special honorable mention” during his announcement of Vazquez.
Democrats and Republicans on the board praised Lauzen's selection in unanimously approving the appointment.
“This is a great decision. We are all going to be happy with this. Today is a good day. There is a Marine standing at attention,” Republican Mike Kenyon said, referencing Vazquez's Marine service, “looking down, and he's very happy.”
Maria Vazquez's appointment is effective immediately.
“Thank you very much for this opportunity to finish Jesse's term,” she said following the vote. “I'm looking forward to working with all of you.”