Some suburban candidates running for multiple offices

Some suburban candidates are taking their quest for public service to a new level: running for multiple offices.

A few are chasing after two seats; at least one is pursuing three.

Money doesn't appear to be the impetus, as pay for local boards is relatively low to nonexistent.

Is it a noble quest to give back to the community, or a maneuver to increase the likelihood of winning April 7? Maybe a little of both.

Regardless of motive, election watchers say the multiple candidacies are unusual.

"It is more typical ... to throw yourself into one campaign," said Cindi Canary, executive director of a watchdog group called Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.

Running for multiple public offices - and serving simultaneously with different government agencies - is legal in Illinois as long as the posts don't create conflicts of interest, the Illinois attorney general's office has ruled.

Dual service is most common for legislators. State Rep. Ed Sullivan Jr. of Mundelein also is Fremont Township's assessor, while state Sen. Michael Bond of Grayslake also is on the Woodland Elementary District 50 board.

Conversely, state Rep. Sandy Cole of Grayslake resigned from the Lake County Board after joining the House in 2007.

Among the suburbanites seeking two posts in April is Mundelein resident Cornelius "Connie" Shanahan, an incumbent seeking re-election to the Fremont Public Library District board who's also running for the Fremont Township board.

The Mundelein resident said he was asked if he was interested in a township seat, but wasn't necessarily recruited.

"It was really nobody on the board, it was other people," said Shanahan, whose resume includes being a director of the Illinois Association of Highway Engineers. "I didn't even know there was a vacancy."

A Boy Scout leader, Shanahan said he long has been involved in various community activities. Serving on a local elected board is another form of community service, he said.

But he did some homework before deciding to give it a go. He learned, for example, he couldn't run for village trustee and school board.

"Illinois has quite a unique election law," he said. "If one position affects another in any way, shape or form, you can't have both."

Vernon Hills resident Michael Rochow is taking it a step further by running for seats on three panels: the Vernon Hills village board, the Vernon Hills Park District board and the Cook Memorial Public Library District board.

The 27-year-old mechanical engineer has never campaigned for public office before and said he's running for three seats to increase his chances of serving the public. If he ran for only one seat and his candidacy was quashed because of a technicality or he was defeated at the polls, he'd lose his chance, Rochow said.

"I want to be able to involved in some way or form in my community," he said.

If elected to all three posts, Rochow said, he'd serve on all three boards - even though the library and village boards meet on the same night, which he didn't know before filing his paperwork.

Canary called Rochow's triple bid "odd."

"Anyone who's been on the campaign trail knows it's hard," she said. "This will be triply hard."

Shanahan and Rochow join Libertyville resident Ann E. Oakley as candidates in multiple races in Lake County. Oakley is running for re-election to the Cook Memorial Public Library District board and also is seeking a seat on the Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 board.

In McHenry County, Rob LaPorta is seeking re-election to the Grafton Township board and also is running for a seat on the Huntley Unit District 158 school board.

"I'm not into it for power or name recognition," LaPorta said. "The older I get, I want to contribute more to the community."

LaPorta said he consulted with the township attorney before filing for both positions to confirm there would not be a legal conflict of interest.

He said time is not a concern, either. The township board meets only once a month, while school board members typically attend at least three meetings each month.

"It won't put either of the programs at risk by me being involved in both," LaPorta said. "I'll have more than adequate time for the school board position."

Will these multi-candidates be criticized for their decisions?

Rochow said it's up to voters to decide if he's qualified to serve on three panels.

"Voters can choose what they think is best," he said.

Daily Herald staff writer Jameel Naqvi contributed to this report.