2 GOP challengers for Kane County coroner

The contest to become the new dean of death investigations in Kane County will have at least two candidates.

Rob Russell announced Wednesday he’s running to be the nextd coroner. He joins Dr. Bob Tiballi, who also recently announced his campaign for the office.

The race will mark Russell’s third attempt at political office. He came within a couple hundred votes of winning the Republican nomination for Kane County Sheriff in 2010. Russell also made a brief run for the Elgin Community College board of trustees but dropped out of the race early, citing a need to spend more time with his family and focus on his job working at the DuPage County Sheriff’s office.

Russell’s family was on hand to support him Wednesday as he described a platform of restoring public trust in the Kane County coroner’s office. The office is currently immersed in two court battles. One case involves the indictment of Coroner Chuck West on felony misconduct charges that accuse West of taking a television from a death scene in 2007. West also faces a lawsuit by a former deputy coroner who claims West created uncomfortable work conditions in retaliation for blowing the whistle about the television.

“The allegations are inappropriate at best, criminal at worst,” Russell said of those issues. “The Kane County coroner’s office needs honesty and integrity restored.”

Russell also contrasted himself with Tiballi by suggesting the medical side of the coroner’s office is in good hands with the contract employment of a forensic pathologist. What the office really needs, Russell said, is an effective administrator and an experienced investigator.

“The coroner is a genuine peace officer, not a doctor,” Russell said.

In contrast, Tiballi said in his announcement speech county residents would prefer a coroner with a medical background.

“Some think that the best candidate for coroner would be a law enforcement officer, a ‘sheriff-light,’ ” Tiballi said. “In a recent poll of county residents, over 90 percent of those polled in this random telephone poll stated that the coroner should be a doctor or someone with medical training.”

The candidates also differ in what they believe should happen to West. Tiballi called for West’s immediate resignation.

“The people of Kane County have had an important office paralyzed by this indictment and whistle-blower lawsuits,” Tiballi said. “The dysfunction continues.”

But Russell said West deserves his day in court. He doesn’t think it’s his place to call on West to resign.

“The question is why did that TV even need to leave that house,” Russell said.