Two seek Democratic nomination for DuPage County coroner
Two people looking to become the Democratic nominee for DuPage County coroner say that if they become coroner, they would be more transparent about how the office operates and provide more information about deaths in the county.
“It’s a totality of issues with the current coroner,” said Jeffrey Jacobson of Downers Grove. He is running against Judith Lukas of Winfield.
Whoever wins next week’s primary will face Republican Dr. Richard Jorgensen in the general election in November. Jorgensen has been the DuPage coroner for 12 years.
Jacobson and Lukas both spoke about using information to try to prevent death, particularly suicides and drug overdoses. Preventing death is not listed as one of the duties of a coroner in state law.
Jacobson is a lawyer, including doing work as general counsel for the DuPage County Forest Preserve District. “I am the only one who has the professional demeanor, the legal experience and the administrative experience to run the coroner’s office,” he said.
Lukas disagreed with Jacobson’s statement that he was the only professional in the race. She is licensed as a registered nurse and said her experience dealing with evidence-based science would help her in death investigations.
She said that before becoming a nurse, she worked in human resources for the U.S. Postal Service, including managing contracts, so she also has administrative experience. She also cited her experience working with several labor unions, in the Postal Service and as a nurse.
Lukas said the county Democratic Party chairman asked her to run four years ago. After thinking about it, she decided she was interested, especially after two of her nephews killed themselves and another died due to a drug overdose.
“How can I help as many people as I can that are struggling with mental health ‒ just looking at coroner, and it is just a beautiful fit,” she said. “Being a coroner is about more than the deceased. It is also about the living.”
Lukas said the coroner should go to community events, including health events.
Jacobson said that the current party chairman asked him to run and has endorsed him.
Lukas said if she is elected, one of her first tasks will be to do a needs assessment. She said the current five-year plan “seems really on track” and praised Jorgensen for bringing the office up to date as far as computerization.
She said she would use a public health approach to the office. She is developing a program to educate middle-school children about mental health, which she would offer without having taxpayers pay for it, Lukas said.
“I cannot just report a death certificate,” she said.
Jacobson said he would want to enhance other existing county and private programs that do such education, by providing more information about what people are dying of. And the coroner’s website should have links to programs and resources for people who have various health problems, including drug and mental health problems, he said.