GOP not resting on laurels after wins

The winds of political change in DuPage County's Republican Party are coming out of the southeast.

Two relative unknowns emerged from Tuesday's GOP primary to grab nominations for the November general election over longtime political stalwarts in that part of the county.

Woodridge village Trustee John Curran defeated three-term incumbent Tom Bennington for one of two county board nominations in District 3. And political newcomer Linda Painter unseated Wally Brown, who has more than two decades of experience guiding DuPage forest preserve policies from the same district.

Bennington and Brown were the only incumbents in DuPage -- all of whom are Republican -- not to win their party's nod for the November election. District 3 serves all or portions of Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills, Darien, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Naperville, Westmont, Willowbrook and Woodridge.

Both Curran and Painter credit their primary victories to long hours of canvassing their district on foot and meeting residents.

"I found very engaged voters," Curran said. "I don't think it was more than I anticipated, but the response was certainly more than just shaking my hand and taking my pamphlets."

Curran said he started walking door-to-door in August. Painter said her legwork began in September.

"I found it very reassuring walking house-to-house --because so many people warned me that they would slam the door in my face -- that people wanted to talk to me," Painter said. "I used a play on my name and gave out paint brushes during the campaign and up to Election Day I had people telling me they still had my paint brushes."

Surprise candidate

This may be Painter's first race, but she's not exactly a novice. The 49-year-old pediatric nurse from Hinsdale has been active in her township Republican organization and even helped Brown's campaigns in the past.

She began running after Brown told GOP leaders he wouldn't seek re-election. When he changed his mind, her campaign already had begun.

"I made a decision several years ago when my knees were really bothering me," Brown said. "Then I had two new knees and I was quite surprised by the difference it made in my whole attitude."

Painter was perplexed by his decision.

"I got all my endorsements and I was geared up," she said. "It helped me some knowing how he runs his campaign. But he put a lot of effort into his campaign and I was kind of surprised."

It was Brown who wound up surprised when Tuesday's results came in. He turns 80 in June and was a county board member for 16 years before taking a forest preserve commissioner's seat when that body split from the county board in 2002.

"I was surprised by the amount she beat me by," he said of the 1,500-plus vote differential. "I didn't figure it to be that big a spread."

Painter lives adjacent to Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve. Her interest in district matters was ignited several years ago when she took a bike ride on a trail through the preserve and hit a dead end. She thought the district either should finish the trail so it connects with something or erect a sign informing visitors it abruptly ends.

"I think the commissioner should be active in the preserves and part of our job should be getting out there and being an advocate for the forest preserves," she said.

It also helped that she had financial backing from some heavy-hitters like U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert and state Sen. Kirk Dillard.

She is pushing an agenda of increased communication and marketing as well as making forest preserves more accessible to children, seniors and the disabled.

"Some people think I'm going to pave over all the forest preserve trails, which is absolutely untrue," she said. "But there are some trails perfectly set up for disabled access."

Lone wolf underdog

Curran's interest in the county board seat was sparked by what he called the "budget challenge."

"I want to emphasize long-range financial planning," he said. "They've kind of fallen victim to the revenue shortfalls that have hit all governments over the last several years."

The 34-year-old assistant Cook County prosecutor is used to being an underdog and running as a lone wolf. He won a seat on the Woodridge village board almost three years ago running against a slate of candidates endorsed by Mayor William Murphy. This time he was running against two incumbents who were being endorsed and partially funded by Chairman Robert Schillerstrom.

"Both times people have reacted positively to the alternative," he said.

Bennington has been on the board since 1998, winning two 4-year terms and one 2-year term.

"The only thing I can figure out is it just seemed to be ballot position," he said. "I was last."

Incumbent Michael McMahon was first on the ballot and Curran was second. The first two almost had identical vote totals, while Bennington came in third with almost 3,000 less votes.

Bennington said he couldn't campaign as much as in the past because of knee surgery.

Curran said he saw a need on the county board similar to the one he perceived when he ran for village trustee.

"I have no grand political plan," he said. "I wanted to get involved at the local level and when I got involved, I saw a greater need at the county level."

Curran said he has no regrets about leaving his trustee post without fulfilling one full term and he hasn't heard a peep from supporters who think he should have stayed longer.

"Should I be elected, I won't be sworn in until December," he said. "I will come within four months from fulfilling my term in Woodridge. The cycles of these two elected jobs never line up, but that's about as close as you can get."

November question

It was once almost a forgone conclusion that Republicans who win primaries in DuPage County go on to win the general election.

Those days may be over.

Both Curran and Painter face Democratic opposition in the Nov. 4 general election. After Tuesday's primary, when Democratic voters outnumbered Republicans at the polls for the first time in anyone's memory, GOP office-seekers aren't taking anything for granted.

"I begin campaigning again today," Painter said. "I'm not joking."

Democrats are optimistic about their chances.

"I think we're going to see change all over the country," said Bob Peickert, chairman of Operation: Turn DuPage Blue, an advocacy offshoot of the Democratic organization.

However, the Democratic challengers may need some work on their campaign rhetoric.

Matt Mostowik will be Painter's opponent in the general election. He's a 10-year veteran of the Darien Elementary District 61 school board.

"Whether I win or lose, there are going to be fresh ideas and a fresh perspective on the board," he said. "I'm just excited to see a choice going into the election."

As for Curran's Democratic challenger, Bob Brandt isn't really aiming for the GOP newcomer.

"I think the wrong incumbent got nominated by the Republicans Tuesday," Brandt said. "Tom Bennington was a far better candidate and I think John Curran would be an outstanding addition to the county board. It's time for Mike McMahon to go."

Not exactly fighting words from either Democratic opponent. But that's not keeping Curran or Painter from taking the threat of Democratic voters seriously.

"It's a clear message to all GOP candidates to get out there and work and not let up until the November elections," Curran said.

Mostowik believes many of Tuesday's Democratic voters are "one-timers caught up in the excitement" of the presidential nomination between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Bennington advised caution, but echoed the Democratic forest preserve candidate's sentiment.

"I think it's a real factor GOP candidates need to be worried about," he said, "but I also believe there were Republican voters who crossed over Tuesday who are going to come home in November."