Fahy drops out of Kane County Board race

Dundee Township residents will have a new Kane County Board member representing them come November as incumbent John Fahy pulled his name from the ballot Monday.

Fahy, an Elgin firefighter, was recently promoted to the rank of captain, triggering his decision to withdraw from the race.

"The new job quadruples my work," Fahy said. "I just won't be able to serve both jobs well."

Fahy said some people encouraged him to stay on the ballot and just serve on the county board as best he could if he was re-elected. But Fahy said that's not his idea of how the community should be represented by an elected official.

"To just stay on the ballot, collect the $20,000 (county board salary) and not make that many meetings is greedy," Fahy said. "This way the people get to elect somebody."

Dundee Township Republicans will now try to find a new candidate to replace Fahy on the ballot. Fahy himself is one of the people who will help choose among any interested candidates.

One possibility is Lee Barrett. Fahy defeated Barrett during the Republican primary. Barrett has failed in several runs for public office.

If Republicans fail to find a replacement for Fahy, the Democratic challenger, Joseph Haimann, would be a sure bet to be the district's newest representative on the Kane County Board.

Fahy has served on the county board since 2006. He is active on 10 county board and forest preserve commission boards and has key roles on the county board's finance committee and negotiation team with the county's employee unions. Fahy said he enjoyed his time on the county board and voters haven't seen the last of him in politics.

"I've got five or six years left in the fire department," Fahy said "I'll be back."