Democrat must replace Sabonjian on Lake County board, law says

Even though he's officially an independent, Bob Sabonjian will be replaced on the Lake County Board by a Democrat after he becomes mayor of Waukegan next month, officials said.

Sabonjian, who upset Mayor Richard Hyde on Election Day, was a Democrat when he was re-elected to the county board in November, but quit the party a month later.

Because he was a Democrat when he was elected, however, the board must choose a Democrat to succeed him as the 8th District's representative, state election law says.

"It is an interesting question," said Meg Marcouiller, chief of the Lake County state's attorney's civil division, who researched the matter at Sabonjian's request.

Sabonjian, a county board member since 1998, could not be reached for comment, but Marcouiller said the mayor-elect is fine with the ruling.

The move will give the Democrats 10 seats on the county board. Thirteen Republicans serve on the 23-member panel, too.

The GOP controls all the key leadership positions on the county board and the Lake County Forest Preserve District board, which consists of the same 23 members.

State Sen. Terry Link, who leads the county's Democratic organization, said he and other party leaders will look for possible candidates to replace Sabonjian.

County board Chairwoman Suzi Schmidt said she will consult with Sabonjian, Link and other Democrats before the board chooses its new member.

The search won't begin, however, until Sabonjian actually resigns, she said.

"By law, I have no one to search for," said Schmidt, a Lake Villa Republican. "Until there's a vacancy, I don't really have the authority to do anything."

Sabonjian cannot simultaneously serve as mayor and a county board member because the two posts aren't legally compatible, Marcouiller said. Sabonjian intends to resign from the panel, she said, but he hasn't publicly announced a date.

The seat must be filled within 60 days of its vacancy. The appointee will serve until the next election cycle in 2010 and could run for office then, officials said.

The county board last appointed someone to fill a vacancy in 2007 after Republican Sandy Cole of Grayslake resigned to serve as state representative. The board chose Terese Douglass to fill the 11th District post.

Douglass lost the seat last to Democrat Pat Carey in November's general election. Carey was one of four Democratic challengers to defeat Republican incumbents on the board last fall.