Kane County sheriff has primary challenger

A veteran DuPage County sheriff's officer announced Tuesday he plans to run for Kane County sheriff in the next election.

Republican Rob Russell will make the announcement official at a noon news conference Thursday at the Kane County Judicial Center in St. Charles, according to a news release from his campaign.

Russell, 42, of South Elgin, has worked for the DuPage County sheriff's office since 1993 and currently is a supervising liaison for Wayne, Bloomingdale and Addison townships. He's experienced in patrol, community policing, court security and corrections, the release stated.

Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez, a Democrat elected in 2007, said Tuesday he was aware of Russell's intention to run but had no comment. Perez said he intends to seek re-election.

Russell could not immediately be reached. On his Facebook page, he listed public safety, jail overcrowding, accreditation and fiscal responsibility among top campaign issues.

The news release said Russell is married with four children. He has a master's degree in political and justice studies and a bachelor's degree in sociology, his campaign said.