New Republican faces line up for central committee posts
Only one suburban member of the Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee is running for re-election next month.
In the 10th Congressional District, committeeman Mark Shaw of Lake Forest is running for another term against challenger Louis Atsaves, also of Lake Forest. That district, which includes parts of Lake and Cook counties, could see Illinois' most hotly contested race for Congress with Rep. Brad Schneider in a rematch with his predecessor, Republican Robert Dold.
The Illinois Republican Party Friday released its list of candidates for the influential statewide committee. The county party organizations have conventions April 16 to pick their leaders.
Those elected during the conventions take over their seats immediately, party spokesman Andrew Welhouse said.
The candidates list includes a six-way battle in the 6th Congressional District, which includes central DuPage and goes through northeast Kane and into parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.
Cook County GOP Chairman Aaron Del Mar is a candidate, as is Brian Colgan of Naperville, David Diersen of Wheaton, Lynda Filipello of Lisle, Richard "Dick" Furstenau of Naperville and Mark Stern of Oak Brook.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove will leave his post as committeeman in the 14th District as he competes against U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin for Senate.
That leaves the field open for state Rep. Barbara Wheeler of Crystal Lake, Stanton Bond of Montgomery and Lake County Republican Party Chairman Bob Cook of Wauconda as candidates for the district, which includes portions of Will, Kendall, Kane and McHenry counties.
In the 8th District, DuPage County GOP Chairman Darlene Ruscitti, Schaumburg Township Committeeman Ryan Higgins and Frank Napolitano of Bartlett are competing for the post. That district includes portions of northwest Cook, eastern Kane and central DuPage counties.
The candidates for the 9th District, which includes portions of Evanston, Skokie, Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights, are Blair Garber of Evanston, Joseph Hedrick of Morton Grove and Thomas Morris of Chicago.
In the 11th District, Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar runs unopposed. His district includes Naperville, Aurora, Woodridge, Lisle, Darien, Bolingbrook, North Aurora, Plainfield and Joliet.
Candidates for the GOP State Central Committee need to have voted a Republican ballot in the three most recent general primary elections. Terms last through 2018.