Cronin seeks retired judge for election panel

It would be ideal to have a retired judge fill the third and final vacancy on the DuPage Board of Election Commissioners, according the person responsible for making the appointment.

County board Chairman Dan Cronin says he already has spoken to two different retired chief judges to see if they would be interested in the seat vacated by J.P. "Rick" Carney, the former chairman of the three-person election board. So far, a decision on who will get that appointment hasn't been made.

Carney resigned after Cronin and 11 county board members called for him to step down because of a consultants' report that concluded improvements must be made to the election commission's credit card, ethics and procurement policies. The bipartisan agency also needs to increase transparency and accountability, according to the report.

Cronin already has appointed Elmhurst Republican Cathy Ficker Terrill and West Chicago Democrat Art Ludwig to the election board. He said Carney's replacement is an important position.

"We want to make that we do everything we can to gain the trust and confidence of the public," Cronin said on Thursday.

Cronin said the reason he likes the idea of appointing a retired judge is because they are smart and capable. "I am looking for somebody that commands immediate respect with their credibility," he said.

If a retired judge can't be found to fill the vacancy, Cronin said he's hoping to find someone who has a "good, hands-on knowledge" about how to operate an election.

"I'm trying to balance it," he said. "I want to make sure that we get the right person for the job. That's all."

Cronin doesn't need county board approval to appoint new members to the election commission. State law requires both political parties be represented, but Republicans have held two of the three seats.