It's your right: Join the political process
Bring yourselves and your questions to an upcoming forum featuring the candidates for the 14th Congressional District. I will sit on a panel of local journalists firing away at the candidates, and there also will be a chance for audience members to submit questions. Republicans Jim Oberweis, Chris Lauzen and even Michael Dilger -- a dark horse from Elgin who has yet to speak publicly on his candidacy -- are scheduled to join Democrats John Laesch, Bill Foster, Jotham Stein and Joe Serra.
The event is at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 at the Norris Cultural Arts Center, 1040 Dunham Road, St. Charles. It is free and open to the public. An informal meet-and-greet will follow the 90-minute question-and-answer period.
The forum is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Geneva-St. Charles and the League of Women Voters of Batavia in cooperation with the Beacon News, the Daily Herald, and the Kane County Chronicle.
Fitzgerald at Lauzen event
Former Sen. Peter Fitzgerald is headlining an upcoming political fundraiser for congressional candidate Chris Lauzen. Fitzgerald, a Republican who served in Washington from 1999 to 2005, was a member of the "Fab Five" group of conservative state senators when he served in the legislature with Lauzen. Dubbed the "It's a Wonderful Country" rally, the event also features Sandy Rios, a conservative Christian commentator and Fox News contributor who hosts her own show on WYLL 1160 AM. Tickets, $20 per person or $150 for a table of eight, can be purchased online at www.Lauzen08.com. It's at 6 p.m. Jan. 5 at Aurora Christian High School, 2255 Sullivan Road, Aurora.
Kane officials back Hillary
Two Kane County politicos are members of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's Illinois Hispanic Leadership Council. Kane County Board member Syliva Leonberger, an Aurora Democrat, and Aurora Democratic Party Chairman Alex Arroyo recently were appointed to the 28-member panel.
"I am thrilled to have the support of this group of prominent Hispanic leaders from the state of Illinois," Clinton said in a prepared statement. "Too many Hispanic families feel that they are invisible to this president, but when I am president, no American will be invisible."
Local GOP endorsements
Both the St. Charles Township and Geneva Township Republican committees recently released their election endorsements. The Geneva group backed Lauzen for Congress, while the St. Charles organization deemed both Lauzen and Oberweis "highly qualified."
Both back incumbent Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay but split on their choice of who should represent the county board's 14th district. Geneva Township picked challenger Tina Yagla of Geneva over incumbent Mark Davoust while St. Charles Township sided with Davoust, a St. Charles Township resident.
Burns officially out of race
It's official: Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns is out of the race for Congress. He submitted his withdrawal paperwork Monday afternoon, two weeks after announcing his plans to drop out of the race after former U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert's endorsement of Oberweis as his successor to represent the 14th Congressional District.