Kane Co. board chair challenger in race 'for the people'
First in a two-part series on the Republican candidates for Kane County Board chairman. Tuesday: incumbent Karen McConnaughay
It's the classic grassroots political tale: Citizen doesn't like what his government is doing, so he complains to his neighbors and friends and questions his elected representatives before deciding to run for office on the platform that he'll change the way things are done and defend the little guy.
That's a simple version of how Jim MacRunnels came to challenge Karen McConnaughay for the GOP nomination for county board chairman. And yet a similar story could be told about McConnaughay, whose role in stopping the Kane County Forest Preserve Commission from taking her land for a bike path propelled her into politics 16 years ago.
Their reasons for getting involved in politics aside, MacRunnels sees many more differences than similarities between him and his opponent. A self-described fiscal conservative, MacRunnels' biggest campaign issue is curtailing spending in order to lower property taxes.
"It's time to tighten our belt," he said.
Born in Albuquerque, N.M., 52 years ago, MacRunnels, a military brat whose father was in the Air Force, moved to Illinois in the fourth grade. He graduated from Dixon High School and earned a bachelor's degree from George Williams College -- now a part of Aurora University -- in 1979.
He and his wife, Colleen, married in 1982 and moved to Elburn in 1996. They have a 20-year-old son, Jamie.
MacRunnels has worked in the financial services field for the past 20 years, the last eight as an independent contractor for American General Securities Inc. He has taken a two-month professional sabbatical to run for office.
Volunteering for longtime friend Kevin Williams' unsuccessful 2006 campaign for county sheriff introduced MacRunnels to county politics. That's also about the time he noticed a huge increase in his property tax bill, an anomaly he appealed to the county's board of review.
He then began attending meetings of the Kane County Board and its committees and learning about county government. He didn't like what he saw as excessive spending and a lack of fiscal accountability.
"The deeper I got in, the more questions I've had," MacRunnels said.
He spent months filing dozens upon dozens of requests under the state's Freedom of Information Act, seeking information on contracts, legal fees, consulting fees and other budgetary matters. He spoke publicly at county board meetings, questioning board members when he felt his requests were being ignored or pushed aside.
He openly called out officials when he felt they had a conflict of interest, criticizing one county board member for voting to approve an engineering contract with a company that once employed the board member. He's slammed McConnaughay and others for taking campaign contributions from companies that do business with Kane County.
"I want to end that," he said. "If I'm elected that's going to be one of the first resolutions we push through."
When asked if he sees himself facing an uphill battle against McConnaughay because of her huge campaign war chest, MacRunnels says no. That's the difference between his campaign, a grassroots effort, and hers, he said.
She raised $249,000 during her 2004 campaign against St. Charles Democrat Tom Meadath, who raised just $6,816. McConnaughay, who faced no opposition in the primary, beat political newcomer Meadath in the general election by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio.
McConnaughy raised $40,800 in 2007 for her re-election campaign while MacRunnels has yet to file a campaign disclosure statement.
"I've raised my money the old-fashioned way," MacRunnels said. "My next-door neighbor gave me $2,000. And she's a Democrat. She's crossing party lines to vote for me. She's not expecting anything back. Those are the types of stories I've got. I'm proud of every dollar I've got. They're all (supporting) the same message. It's for the people."