Endorsement: Deacon Garcia for DuPage County clerk

Positive changes are coming to the DuPage County clerk’s office.

Clerk Jean Kaczmarek, who spent years feuding with other DuPage leaders over her refusal to follow county policies related to contract bidding and budget accounting, lost her bid for a third term in the Democratic primary.

And picking Kaczmarek’s replacement is a no-lose proposition for DuPage voters.

Republican Patricia Kladis-Schiappa, an attorney from Burr Ridge, and Lisle Democrat Paula Deacon Garcia, an incumbent county board member, are running to become DuPage’s next county clerk.

In addition to overseeing elections, the clerk’s office maintains vital records such as birth, death and marriage certificates.

We were impressed by both candidates when we spoke to them.

Deacon Garcia and Kladis-Schiappa each cited the controversy surrounding the county clerk as the main reason they decided to enter the race.

Kladis-Schiappa said she feared concerns about the office’s financial management could harm the public’s confidence in elections.

Deacon Garcia, who has served on the county board since 2020, said the office’s financial issues have caused some mistrust.

To help restore trust, both candidates said they will follow the county’s accounting procedures and work with the county’s financial departments. Both also suggested seeking a financial audit of the clerk’s office.

Both candidates said none of the problems are related to the office’s staff and that they plan to work with the employees to make improvements. They also said they would work to ensure the county’s elections are fair and accurate.

During the campaign, Deacon Garcia said she would not favor federal voting lists and would work to protect voter information. Kladis-Schiappa, meanwhile, said she would work to address voter apathy.

While these are two excellent candidates, we believe Deacon Garcia’s experience as a county board member gives her the edge.

Deacon Garcia had a front-row seat to all the problems in the clerk’s office. She went from supporting Kaczmarek to becoming highly critical of the way she ran the clerk’s office. And instead of seeking reelection to her county board seat, Deacon Garcia challenged a two-term incumbent for clerk in the Democratic primary and won.

During that primary, we said Deacon Garcia would build on Kaczmarek’s success while serving more openly and responsibly. We still believe that. Deacon Garcia is endorsed.