For Will County Board District 3, Republican: Dralle, Hart, McPhillips

In Will County Board District 3, which covers more than half of DuPage Township and much of Wheatland Township, five Republican candidates are vying for the chance to appear on the November ballot for three two-year terms.

Terms normally are four years; redistricting will occur after the 2010 Census.

We endorse incumbent Ann Dralle and newcomers Suzanne Hart and Laurie McPhillips.

First elected a commissioner in 1998, Dralle of Lemont is the group veteran. A small-business owner, she's passionate, knowledgeable and forward-thinking in how best to meet the challenges of an ever-increasing tax burden.

Suzanne Hart of Naperville has served as a member of the tumultuous Naperville Park District board for almost three years. As a past president, she has proved to be a strong leader and consensus builder. She's personable and popular with residents and political leaders, earning the Illinois Association of Park District's Rising Star Award in 2008. Will County commissioners oversee both the county and forest preserve district, and Hart's experience with parks and open space issues will be an asset. If elected, Hart will resign as a parks official.

Laurie McPhillips of Plainfield has served Will County in some form for more than 23 years, most recently as Recorder of Deeds and previously as director of operations to the county chief executive.

Though incumbent Mike Wisniewski's strong IT background has proved valuable, we're not as confident in his leadership skills. We believe his various political and personal conflicts in recent years have overshadowed his job performance, ultimately becoming too big a distraction.

Sally Mueller of Naperville is a strong newcomer. She's honest and confident, and we admire her commitment to transparency and common sense solutions.