Fourteen apply for DuPage County Board vacancy

DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom plans to fill the District 3 vacancy on the board next month.

He has 14 applications to choose from, but he's not guaranteeing the pick will come from that pile.

"I won't commit to that," he said.

Schillerstrom also said some of the applicants are stronger than others, and he probably won't conduct interviews with everyone who applied.

The 14 applicants are vying to replace Kyle Gilgis, who retired last month with just over a year left on her term after 10 years on the board. A Downers Grove resident, half of the applicants seeking to replace her hail from her hometown. Schillerstrom said geography does play a part in his decision-making.

"I do look at geography, but there are a lot of things that go into the decision," he said.

This will be the second appointment Schillerstrom has had to make to the board this year. He tapped Naperville developer John Zediker to replace Michael Connelly in District 5 after Connelly was elected to the state house of representatives. That pick surprised many DuPage Republican insiders since Zediker wasn't as active in the party as several other candidates.

Leading the pack of would-be replacements in District 3 are several names familiar to county GOP pundits. A trio of current or former Downers Grove village leaders share front-runner status with a recently retired DuPage County associate circuit court judge and a former assistant attorney general.

Former Downers Grove Commissioner Martin Tully, former Downers Grove Mayor Brian Krajewski and current Commissioner Sean Durkin all applied. Some insiders believe Krajewski is a longer shot because he is the only township GOP chairman in the county to not endorse Schillerstrom's gubernatorial bid. Krajewski said he plans to run for the seat in 2010 whether he is appointed or not.

Former assistant Illinois Attorney General Gregory Abbott is the only other candidate to announce plans to run for the seat whether he is appointed or not. The Woodridge resident's only other political experience was a primary loss in 2008 to incumbent state Sen. Christine Radogno.

Schillerstrom said he isn't looking for whoever he picks to replace Gilgis to act as a "seat-filler" until November 2010.

"Generally I like to pick someone I would think would run for re-election successfully," Schillerstrom said.

Several Republican officials said former Judge Kenneth Abraham hasn't decided whether he wants to run in 2010 if appointed or just fill out the remaining months of the term. Attempts to reach Abraham were unsuccessful. He lives in Darien.

Attorney Matt Caruso of Hinsdale is a longtime Republican committeeman who some believe is also a strong candidate, but his family ties to a politically connected engineering firm that does a lot of business with the county may keep Schillerstrom from choosing him. DuPage Veterans Assistance Commission Superintendent Joe Craig also tossed his hat in the ring and his experience working at the county is considered a positive.

But one name missing from the list is former board member Tom Bennington. Schillerstrom's assertion that he may not pick from the list of applications leads many county GOP insiders to believe Bennington's return to the board is still a possibility. Bennington was considered one of Schillerstrom's top lieutenants when he was on the board and he remains on the DuPage Water Commission since his 2008 primary defeat.

One puzzling name on the list is Democrat Karol Sole of Westmont, who ran unsuccessfully for the forest preserve board in 2008 and Downers Grove Township highway commissioner in April.

"I don't see a set of circumstances where I would appoint a Democrat," Schillerstrom admitted.

Other applicants are Downers Grove community activist Laurel Bowen, attorney and Hinsdale High School District 86 board President Dennis Brennan, attorney Michael Flynn of Downers Grove, longtime Downers Grove resident Bill Haider, attorney Peggy McCracken of Downers Grove who is the ex-wife of former state Sen. Tom McCracken and Argonne National Laboratories project manager Anibal Taboas of Woodridge.

District 3 covers all or parts of Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Woodridge, Darien, Westmont, Downers Grove, Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, Lemont and Bolingbrook.