Six file to fill Hastert's seat as candidates begin election season
Six of the eight candidates for the 14th Congressional District filed their election paperwork in Springfield Monday, the first day of the filing period for the 2008 primary.
Republicans Kevin Burns, Chris Lauzen and Jim Oberweis and Democrats Bill Foster, John Laesch and Jotham Stein submitted their petitions when the Illinois State Board of Elections office opened at 8 a.m. A lottery will be held later this month to determine whose name appears first on the Feb. 5 ballot.
More Coverage Kane County filings McHenry County filings Lake County filings Cook County filings
Democrat Joe Serra and Republican Rudy Clai have until 5 p.m. next Monday to file their paperwork to replace the retiring U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert, a Plano Republican.
Voters in the 16th Congressional District, which serves most of McHenry County, could see the first serious challenge in years to incumbent U.S. Rep. Donald Manzullo. Manzullo, an Egan Republican, filed for a spot on the ballot Monday along with Democratic challenger Robert Abboud, the village president of Barrington Hills.
Kane County
Kane County Board chairman challenger Jim MacRunnels was the first candidate to file an election petition at the county clerk's office in Geneva. But because Chairman Karen McConnaughay was just a few steps behind MacRunnels when the office opened at 8:30 a.m., ballot placement will be determined by a lottery.
MacRunnels, a political newcomer from Elburn and McConnaughay's most vocal critic, turned in 1,850 signatures with his election petition. McConnaughay, a St. Charles resident seeking her second term, filed more than 1,700. Just 452 were needed, but candidates often gather more than the minimum in case some are determined to be invalid if questioned.
"The race is on," said MacRunnels, who arrived at the clerk's office in Geneva shortly after 5 a.m. so he'd be first in line.
On the Kane County Board, two Republicans are vying to unseat Democrat Jesus de la Isla of Elgin: Larry Wegman, a county employee who ran unsuccessfully for the seat four years ago, and Richard Bennett, who ran unsuccessfully for Elgin City Council in February. De la Isla was appointed to the District 20 seat in November to fill a vacancy.
There were no surprises in the countywide seats in Kane County. All Republican incumbents filed for re-election.
In the Elgin judicial subcircuit, former Kane County State's Attorney David Akemann filed as a Republican.
McHenry County
As growth, development and population continue to move west through McHenry County, so too, it seems, are the county's hardest-fought political battles.
The county board's far western 6th District is setting up to be the foremost Election Day battleground as three Republicans and three Democrats made it known they are seeking one of two open seats.
"Our area out here is one of the last frontiers with so much open space that people want to see protected," said Randall Donley, a Republican from Union seeking election to the 6th District seat he was appointed to in December. "People don't want to see the area overrun by development and subdivisions, so they're running for the county board to protect that part of the county."
Donley, who is serving the term left vacant by the death of former board member Richard Klasen, is joined on the GOP ballot by Seneca Township Supervisor Ersel Schuster and Woodstock resident John Jones. By the time filing closes next week, Donley said, there could be five or more additional candidates in the GOP primary.
On the Democratic side, Darryl M. Frank of Woodstock, Andrew J. Georgi Jr. of Harvard and Robert Ludwig of Harvard will square off in a primary for two nominations in the November general election.
A Democratic primary is practically unheard of in McHenry County, especially in a county board race. The party's county chairman, Thomas Cynor, said he is not aware of any prior Democratic primaries over a county board seat.
Cynor said he ultimately expects at least one Democrat to run in every county board district and believes that partly is due to the success former Lake in the Hills village Trustee Jim Kennedy had in 2006 by becoming the first Democrat to win a county board seat.
"When people see it can be done, they're more likely to throw their hat in the ring," Cynor said.
Among the other Democrats filing Monday was Paula Yensen, Kennedy's former colleague on the Lake in the Hills village board. Yensen is seeking a seat serving the same 5th District Kennedy represents.
Only one race for a countywide office is headed for a primary so far, as incumbent McHenry County State's Attorney Louis Bianchi and Republican rival Daniel Regna each filed nominating papers first thing Monday morning for a spot on the February primary ballot. A lottery will determine which candidate gets the top spot on the GOP ballot.
State legislature
State Rep. Timothy L. Schmitz of Batavia faces a primary challenge from James Krenz of Carpentersville. Both filed Monday to represent the 49th District.
There isn't any competition after one day of filing for McHenry County legislative seats.
State Sen. Pam Althoff, and state representatives Mike Tryon and Jack Franks are all running unopposed to date. Althoff, in the 32nd Senate District, and Tryon, in the 64th House District, are both Crystal Lake Republicans. Franks, in the 63rd House District, is a Woodstock Democrat.
Officials in both parties said Monday they are unaware of any challengers out there for the three incumbents.