Paula Deacon Garcia: 2026 candidate for clerk

Bio

Office sought: DuPage County clerk

Party: Democrat

City: Lisle

Age: 66

Previous offices held: DuPage County Board, 2020-present

Q&A

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

The stakes in the county clerk election are too high to sit back. As Finance Committee Chair, I’ve had a front row seat to the fiscal mismanagement in the current clerk’s office. I challenged the incumbent Clerk in our March primary because I know we can do better by investing our limited resources in combating misinformation, administering fair elections, and modernizing the office’s systems. I’m eager to get to work to improve transparency in the office while continuing DuPage’s tradition of ensuring every voter has the opportunity to cast their vote through expanding early voting, vote by mail, and vote anywhere. Upholding this commitment is more important than ever before as the federal government continues to find new ways to undermine our democracy.

If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you’ve led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the position and what would your priority be?

We must protect the county from extremists intent on stripping away voting rights. Every eligible voter must be able to vote safely and confidently. My priority is transparency and accountability to build trust. I will conduct an internal audit to determine where and how money is being spent and the internal processes and controls in place. Bringing the office into full financial compliance by creating publicly available budgets and following county procurement rules is the simplest way to instill trust.

I believe there are ways the county clerk can better collaborate with other departments to enact efficiencies. Public education initiatives that help residents get to know the office and understand the elections process will help to shine a light on the office’s critical functions and ease concerns residents may have about the legitimacy of our elections. We can coordinate with schools and organizations to register and educate voters, future voters, and election judges. This education must be year-round — consistent communication leads to trust. I am committed to being a full-time clerk with full-time hours and maintaining an open door policy in my office to promote communication.

Name one concrete program you’ll create or personnel move you’ll make to improve efficiency in the office or make it more successful. Explain how it will be funded and how you will overcome any obstacles to initiating it.

Ultimately the reason I decided to step up and run for this office is to clean up the fiscal mess in the current office so that we can focus on the office’s important functions and services to its residents. I do not believe the current issues in the office are related to staffing or the hard work of rank and file employees; I believe the current staff and the institutional knowledge they bring to the table is important and their contributions are valuable, and I will prioritize speaking with each of them to understand their roles and perspectives on how the office may be improved. It will be my responsibility to clearly communicate the expectations and standards of the office and to create an environment in which we work together to improve the office. I would put a greater focus on professional development to make sure they are reaching their full potential while delivering the highest quality of services to residents, and seek training on financial and accounting procedures so there is a clear understanding of the expectations.

How secure are you in the knowledge that election results in the county are reported fairly and accurately? Please explain why.

I am confident that DuPage County elections are fair and honest. That’s why I am running for Clerk — to protect the legacy of DuPage County’s commitment to voter rights and democracy and to protect the progress that so many fought for — expanded early voting, vote anywhere, and vote by mail, to name a few. Preserving the public’s trust and maintaining a strong spirit of transparency in the electoral process is the most effective way to foster trust in the process and ensure our elections are fair and protected.