Olson joins GOP hopefuls for DuPage Board chairman seat

What many of her colleagues on the DuPage County Board had hinted at, Debra Olson is now doing.

The three-term Republican board member is announcing her bid to be the body's next chairman today. She joins three other GOP hopefuls - two state senators and a mayor - who plan to be on the February 2010 primary ballot.

"What I offer is a thorough understanding of the issues at the county level and a record of having worked on these issues," she said. "I grew up here, raised a family here and I'm a small-business owner here. The things other candidates have talked about wanting to do are things I've actually worked on; like transparency, accountability, ethics reform and green initiatives."

The post is coming open due to longtime Chairman Bob Schillerstrom's bid for the governor's office.

State Sen. Dan Cronin, an Elmhurst resident who is also the county party's chairman, announced his candidacy for the seat last month.

Fellow state Sen. Carole Pankau, a former county board member from Itasca, is also running for the job. Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso, too, is in the hunt for the GOP nomination.

No Democrat has announced a campaign yet, but county party officials said they plan to run someone in every county race in 2010.

Olson's campaign coffers are the fullest of the four potential candidates, according to financial reports at the Illinois Board of Elections' Web site. Olson has more than $130,000 at her disposal, mostly due to an $80,000 loan she gave herself. Cronin's campaign finance report lists his assets at nearly $80,000 while Grasso and Pankau have about $20,000 each on hand.

Olson began circulating nomination petitions at various township meetings last week. She said the response has been positive.

Candidates need at least 1,585 signatures to secure a position on the primary ballot, county election officials said. The filing period runs from Oct. 26 through Nov. 2.