McHenry GOP unites behind Tryon

McHenry County Republicans, deeply divided during a hard-fought primary contest last month, united around state Rep. Mike Tryon Wednesday, unanimously electing the two-term legislator as their new party chairman.

Tryon, the former McHenry County Board chairman with a reputation as an open-minded consensus builder, is being looked to by GOP faithful to mend the wounds left by the McHenry County state's attorney primary that split party leadership and had some calling for previous Chairman Bill LeFew's premature ouster.

LeFew chose not to seek another 2-year term as the party boss, leaving the door open for Tryon's selection Wednesday.

"(Tryon) is someone who will listen to people from all directions and is very open to suggestions," said Glenda Miller, the party's newly elected secretary. "We need to work together for the good of the party, and I think he's the one who can make that happen."

Tryon, of Crystal Lake, shrugged off any notion that ill feelings from the primary will carry over in the months leading up to November's general election.

"Unfortunately, you can't take politics out of politics," he said. "That happens, and we'll move on beyond it."

Although admitting there is work to be done in that regard, Tryon said he will focus more of his efforts on getting more people involved in the party, and in particular recruiting young voters to the GOP.

"I don't think we've been good at reaching out to young people for the last 20 years," he said. "When I first got involved, I was one of the younger people in the party and I'm still one of the younger people in the party."

Kathleen Kuchta, a party precinct committeeman from McHenry, was elected unanimously as Tryon's vice chairman.

McHenry County Democrats also chose a new leader Wednesday, elevating former party vice chair Kathleen Bergan Schmidt to the top position in a unanimous vote. An active member of the local party for the past decade, she is faced with the task of building on the party's recent gains in the predominantly Republican county.

"It's getting easier," she said. "People are realizing they can admit to having Democratic sympathies here and live to breathe another day."

Under her leadership, the party will focus on a "bottom up" strategy of winning elections on the local level.

"You can't have good candidates for the state and congressional levels unless you have good candidates on the local level," she said. "It's the farm team, so to speak."

Sam Melei, a precinct committeeman from Huntley, was chosen as the Democrats' vice chairman Wednesday.