From left to right are seen the 2010-2012 McHenry County Republican Central Committee leadership: Chairman Mike Tryon, Secretary Glenda Miller, Vice Chairwoman Kathy Kuchta and Treasurer Fred Wickham.
The leadership team of the McHenry County Republican Central Committee will be the same as it has been the last two years.
Mike Tryon addressing committeemen after his re-election as chairman.
State Rep. Mike Tryon of Crystal Lake continues as Chairman.
Vice Chairwoman will be McHenry’s Kathy Kuchta.
Harvard’s Glenda Miller will be Secretary.
Fred Wickham, who won a contest two years ago will again be Treasurer.
Likewise there was no contest for 8th Congressional District State Central Committeeman. All present voted for Barrington Township’s Gene Dawson.
With the empty precincts added in, pursuant to passage of a motion earlier in the night, Dawson received 10,134 votes in his attempt to turn back a challenge by the Schaumburg Township Committeeman, Michael Adelizzi.
In the race for the 16th Congressional District Committeemanship, the race was more interesting.
Cal Skinner made a pitch for Joe Wiegand, pointing out that he had never seen incumbent Dave Syverson during the past two years since he had joined the Central Committee for the third time. He said that Wiegand’s lack of a public office gave him the time to do much more than a state senator could.
Jack Schaffer spoke for Syverson, explaining that he was a respected leader on the Republican State Central Committee. He added that Syverson had been in Congressman Don Manzullo’s Sunday School class.
Tom Zanck supporting Joe Wiegand's candidacy.
After Schaffer, Tom Zanck asked if he could second Wiegand’s nomination and was granted that wish.
“I don’t agree with Cal Skinner on anything, but I agree with him on Joe Wiegand,” he said. Zanck said he had worked with Wiegand in the campaign to defeat the establishment of a Kishwaukee Water Authority and praised his imagination, thoroughness and initiative.
A not-so-secret ballot was taken instead of a roll call, resulting in Syverson getting 4,054 votes and Wiegand 2,554. (Because each precinct committee had the number of Republican votes cast in his precinct, the way people voted had to be known to the canvass team.)
After the vote Chairman Tryon asked if anyone wanted to switch to the winner and Dan Shea and Patrick Collins did, leaving the tally at 4,347 to 2,261.
Adding in the precinct totals of precincts where no vote was cast, Syverson ended up with a margin of 11,428. The total vote of precincts not represented because the elected committeeman did not show up or because no one ran for precinct committeeman was 9,342 votes.
15,950 people voted in the GOP primary in Congressman Don Manzullo’s part of McHenry County, but only 6,608 of them had elected precinct committeemen present at the meeting.
That means there is plenty of room for volunteers. If you would like your name passed on, you can email McHenry County Blog. The email is on the upper left hand side of this page.
Mike Tryon hand microphone to Jack Schaffer, who chaired gubernatorial winner Bill Brady's McHenry County campaign.
Schaffer, who chaired Bill Brady’s McHenry County campaign, told the party representatives that Brady was leading Kirk Dillard by 246 votes by Brady’s count.
“We think Brady will be the winner,” the former Central Committee Chairman said.
Brady is expected to be in Chicago shaking hands at the Union Pacific train station Friday morning and do a fly-around on Monday. The closest landing will be in Rockford.
Extolling the virtues of his candidate, Schaffer said, “His family is from Central Casting.”
Describing his principles, his spokesman described them as “solid.”
Schaffer also said that he his answers frustrate the media.
When asked a question about social values, he says,
”I am who I am.“
Then, he starts talking about the problems of the day.
“We stand at the brink,” Schaffer said. “The demographics are running against us. We have a chance. The Democrats have done everything for us but raise money…and Blagojevich is still working for us.
“If we can’t prevail this year, I don’t know when we ever will again.
“I won’t say, ‘It’s now or never,’ but you guys will all be as old as I am when we get the next chance.”
Republican County Board candidtes, from left to right, Nick Provenzano, Diane evertson, John Jung, Tina Hill and Donna Kurtz.
John O'Neill, who is a candidate for state representative against Democrat Jack Franks, makes pitch for attendance at his corn beef and cabbage Bull Valley Country Club fund raiser Monday, March 15th.
Tryon then introduced the county board candidates in attendance and let state representative candidate John O’Neill make a pitch for his March 15th corn beef and cabbage fund raiser at the Bull Valley Country Club.
Young Republican President Bryan Javor announcing he would not be running for re-election.
McHenry County Young Republican President Bryan Javor took the opportunity to announce he was not running for re-election, but, pointing to the county board candidates, instead “would work to get these guys elected.”
Then, Tryon headed back to Springfield for session on Thursday.
He had left 1 PM Wednesday afternoon to drive up to Woodstock.