Rickert enters race against Lauzen; other Kane County seats see challenges on last day to file
Longtime Kane County Treasurer David Rickert filed nominating petitions late Monday to run against incumbent Chris Lauzen in the Republican primary for Kane County Board chairman.
Also, Democrats filed in the county board districts 2 and 4, and another Republican filed in District 16, setting up primary contests in races for those nominations.
Winners of the March 17 primary election will advance to the Nov. 3, 2020, general election, where four-year terms will be at stake.
Rickert, an Elgin Republican, was elected in November 2018 to his sixth, four-year term as county treasurer. Even if Rickert loses in the primary, he'll retain his treasurer's seat.
Lauzen, who last faced a primary challenge from Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns in 2012, is seeking a third term as chairman.
Greg Elsbree and Corinne M. Peirog have filed to run in the Democratic primary for county board chairman.
Monday marked the end of the weeklong period for candidates to file nominating petitions to claim a ballot spot in the primary election, and several candidates officially joined races for district seats on the Kane County Board.
Two Democrats - Nicolas C. Guillermo and Mavis Bates, both of Aurora - filed petitions to run for the District 4 seat, setting up a three-way primary with incumbent Angela Clay Thomas.
In District 2, Richard R. Leonard and Dale Berman are seeking the Democratic nomination. Incumbent Theresa Barreiro of Aurora is not seeking another term and is expected to challenge Republican Thomas Hartwell for Kane County Circuit Court Clerk in the general election. Both are unopposed in the primary election.
Republican Kenneth Shepro filed to run for the District 12 county board seat, setting up an expected general election contest against Democrat Ruth Kuzmanic, as incumbent John Hoscheit isn't seeking another term. Shepro and Kuzmanic are unopposed in the primary.
Steven J. Oscarson filed to run against incumbent Mark Davoust for the Republican nod for the District 14 county board seat, setting up a primary contest.
District 20 incumbent Penny Wegman is not seeking another term to run for county auditor against incumbent Terry Hunt, a Big Rock Republican. Lucio Estrada filed as a Republican for the District 20 seat and is expected to face Cherryl Fritz Strathmann in November. Neither has a primary election opponent. Last week, Democrats Jamie Mosser and Junaid "J" Afeef and Republican Robert Spence filed petitions to run for state's attorney, setting up the first contested general election for that post since 2008.
Raymond Esquivel, the county's director of elections, said a lottery will be held Thursday morning to determine ballot order for candidates who filed simultaneously on Nov. 25, the day candidate filing began for the primary.