McHenry County Blog has hypothesized that a run for statewide office could be in the future for Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks.

If so, taking the district back would become a high priority goal of the local and state GOP.

And, because there is no heir apparent to Franks in the Democratic Party, that goal could be achieved.

I had thought that anyone interested in running when the seat is vacated by Franks would be likely to run this year.

Even though probably losing, that would have been a way to build a network of supporters and build name recognition.

But, Franks got a pass from the Republican Party for the second election in a row.

So, if one wanted to run as the GOP candidate for Franks’ seat in 2010, but didn’t want to run against him, what would one do?

Increasing one’s name identification and hanging out with Republicans comes to mind.

One local politician is in the process of doing both. (If there are others that come to your mind after reading this, please email McHenry County Blog with the possibility you have noticed.)

The prospective candidate for Franks’ seat is Brian Sagen. He is Woodstock’s mayor.

What’s he done?

He got himself elected President of the McHenry County Council of Governments. He chaired the annual meeting at which the baseball stadium re-surfaced, although I see I did not mention that fact in my story.

Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager has been spotted where a 2010 candidate for state representative might appear. He is hanging out with Republicans.

The first sighting reported to me was Wednesday a week ago at a meeting billed as for Young Republicans and those willing to walk in parades.

Then, last Saturday, Sager was spotted in Hebron. He walked with the Republican Party contingent.

(If you have other sightings, please email McHenry County Blog. The more points on the graph, the better the trend line.)

On Tuesday night at the McHenry County College meeting, I asked Sager, who is Interim Vice President Learning & Student Support Services at MCC, why he was at the Hebron parade. Here’s what he said:

“I think it’s always good to get out to all the communities in the region and the district.

“I’ve had a lot of past associations with members of the rural or agricultural community and I always enjoy reconnecting with friends and colleagues.”

Then, I asked if he had ambitions higher than being Woodstock’s mayor.

See if you read the following tea leaves the same way I did:

“I truly appreciate the opportunity I have had to serve the community and its residents now.

“I look forward to continuing to work with them closely as we move the city’s “2020 Vision” forward.”

Might someone who said this have a “2010 Vision” for himself?

If so, I wonder why Sager attended the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee meeting in January featuring the Democratic Party’s 16th congressional district opponent Robert Abboud to incumbent Don Manzullo. Abboud is Legislative and Intergovernmental Committee Chairman of the McHenry County Council of Governments.

At the Democratic Party meeting, Barrington Hills Village President Abboud recognized Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager as “a very good friend of mine.”

I also wonder about the before dinner conversation Sager had with 8th congressional district Democratic Party Congresswoman Melissa Bean at the annual meeting of the McHenry County Economic Development Commission. Woodstock is in Bean’s district, of course. That might explain it.