Kane Dems can’t find candidate for chairman
The slogan for the Kane County Democratic Party reads, “Because progress is never made stuck in R.” But when it comes to fielding a candidate for Kane County Board chairman, the organization seems to be having its own transmission problems.
Republican candidates Kevin Burns and Chris Lauzen have been on the campaign trail for several weeks as the time frame to secure petition signatures and a place on the ballot began Sept. 6. Democrats only need 410 petition signatures to place a Democratic name into the race for chairman.
But so far a committee formed by the party to recruit candidates back in May hasn’t found a suitable Democrat to enter the fray.
“At this point we don’t have anybody interested in that race,” Party Chairman Mark Guethle said Friday.
Guethle said part of the problem is Democrats believe they have one of their best chances to win the chairman seat for the first time in perhaps a century. They don’t want just a warm body on the ticket.
“If you’re going to run, then really run,” Guethle said. “You’ve got to work and earn it. I want someone who’s going to run that’s going to put that work in. It’s not a game where you can be lazy.”
Like their Republican counterparts, Democrats on the county board have so far decided they are content with their current roles. Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez, the only Democrat in a countywide elected office, has repeatedly shunned efforts to draw him into the chairman race.
That’s left Democrats still firing off recruitment emails to party members interested in a run for political office. “Public service is an honor, and we are looking for individuals who are willing to answer the call and guide Kane County to a new future,” reads a recent email from the recruitment committee, which is lead by former County Recorder candidate Mike Lowery. Guethle said he believes the party still has plenty of time to field a candidate for the chairman’s race.
The filing deadline is Dec. 5.