‘We’ve built a tremendous infrastructure’: Lake County Democrats chair won’t seek another term

Highland Park resident and former four-term state representative Lauren Beth Gash, credited as a force in flipping Lake County from red to blue, will not be seeking another term as Democratic Party chair.

Gash, who has led Lake County Democrats since August 2020, in a letter to Democratic precinct committeepersons, said she made a difficult decision not to seek another term when the party elects new officers next month for 2026-2028.

More than 20 years ago, Gash founded the Tenth Congressional District Dems organization to elect a Democrat to Congress. She has worked tirelessly to recruit and equip candidates with the resources to win throughout Lake County, according to sources.

Once the only Democrat from Lake County in the state legislature, the political landscape has changed considerably during Gash’s involvement. Now, 10 of 14 legislators are Democrats, as are all top countywide elected officials and 14 of 19 county board members.

Gash said she will remain involved but after dedicating much of her life to the cause desires more free time to be with family, travel and to pursue other interests.

“We’ve built a tremendous Democratic infrastructure,” she told committeepersons, noting the party fielded a candidate for every race on March 17 primary ballot while Republicans did not in 20 of the 41 races.

“We’ve worked hard, and our recruiting has been strong,” she added. “The tables have turned.”

She is supporting state Rep. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove as the next chair and state Rep. Laura Faver Dias of Grayslake, who is running with Didech, as first vice chair.