Reflections on the Kim Skaja King Maker Article

From the reaction of Huntley School Board member’s friends to my article about Kim Skaja’s being the king maker who induced Rob LaPorta (Grafton Township trustee candidate for re-election and candidate for the District 158 board) to step aside, I conclude I may have been wrong.

When viewing political tea leaves from afar, what looks logical–more often than not–is logical.

When I learned that Skaja had announced LaPorta’s decision to withdraw, I thought that meant she was putting things together for the board majority coalition.

Skaja is a direct beneficiary of his withdrawal because she is now guaranteed another four years on the school board. She is the senior board member.

Today, the Northwest Herald reported that LaPorta sent a letter to all school board candidates but Larry Snow telling them that he is withdrawing because he has a new job and the school board would take too much time.

It is common knowledge that the five candidates who were running for the four-year seats are allies with Mike Skala, who is facing off against Larry Snow.

LaPorta’s letter makes that pretty clear. He is a strong supporter of Mike Skala’s beating Snow for the two-year term.

You see, the board majority is not satisfied with a consistent 5-2 vote. The coalition supporting it wants total control.

Electing all four of the four-year seats will give the board majority continued solid control of the Huntley School District.

But, they think that pesky Larry Snow must go.

Snow, after all, is the one who pointed out that the 55-cent tax rate hike was not needed.

The victors in that tax hike referendum want him out of the picture.

And Snow keeps asking questions that the board majority doesn’t want to confront in public.

As evidence of the board majority coalition’s plan, I present the fact that two candidates—Mike Skala and Paul Troy–filed against Larry Snow for the two-year term. Snow and the other two filed for four-year terms, too.

Troy withdrew and is guaranteed a four-year seat.

Maybe no one in that faction is “pulling the strings.” Maybe there is a colloquial decision-making process.

Maybe it’s all coincidence.

If Skaja’s friends say it is not her coordinating the campaign, so be it.

But if no one deserves any credit for the strategy, then this little corner of Illinois politics is very, very different from every other one I have observed and/or participated in.


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