The guest speaker for McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler’s Koehlerfest was State Treasurer Dan Rutherford.
Meeting at Lakeside Center’s dining room, Koehler introduced him as “a good friend of McHenry County.”
The gathering of Koehler supporters was also “Chainsaw Jack” Franks’ prospective opponent Tonya Franklin’s “coming out party.”
Introduced to Koehler as the woman who was going to keep Jack Franks off his back, Franklin received nothing but encouragement.
He said he would be at the Special Meeting of the County Central Committee at 9 AM at D’Andrea’s in Crystal Lake on this Saturday morning.
Koehler noted that he is the only Republican elected official to take Franks on.
As Tonya worked the room, those trying to suppress turnout sufficiently so there will not be a quorum on Saturday morning were seen talking to Precinct Committeemen with whom she had talked.
While they were doing their thing, I was trying to find people to fill empty precincts.
One Koehler contributor seemed quite interested so I passed his name onto Tom McDermott, who heads the Algonquin Township Committee looking for people willing to work in the fall election.
I ran into former McHenry County Republican Party Chairman Jack Schaffer, who was State Senator in the 1970’s (and beyond), and introduced him to Tonya.
“Go get them,” he said encouragingly.
Other candidates were in attendance.
Working the room most systematically was GOP State Rep. candidate David McSweeney.
He is still unopposed, although Dee Beaubien is circulating petitions to gain ballot access as an Independent.
To be a candidate, Beaubien has to file petition signatures in Springfield the same as Tonya Franklin.
The woman slated to run for McHenry County Superintendent of Schools by the Central Committee, Leslie Schermerhorn, was in attendance with a number of family members.
McHenry County State’s attorney was in attendance. He greeted Tonya Franklin warmly.
I also saw County Board candidates Yvonne Barnes, from Cary and running in District 1, and District 2 candidate Carolyn Schofield, currently serving on the Crystal Lake City Council.
District 5 candidate John Jung, who lives in Bull Valley and is the Republican Precinct Committeeman in the only Jack Franks precinct containing part of Crystal Lake, was at the event with his wife and newly-appointed Dorr Township Precinct Committeeman Josie.
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If I missed a candidate, please let me know in a comment so I can complete the story.
The only piece of personal information I’ve read about Tonya Franklin is that she’s a “medical instructor.”
WHAT exactly is a “medical instructor”?
Good question. I thought it had to do with training medial receptionists – medical coding, billing and the like.
Good job Cal…
Sounds like she doesn’t want anyone to know the specifics.
LOTS of county contractors in attendance.
Even some Jack Franks supporters.
WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU!!???
Sorry if I missed the discussion.
Is it not interesting that Koehler and puppetmaster Schaffer (at least publicly) encourage Franklin?
Meanwhile their figurehead Tryon is left to fight the uprising?
Are they throwing Tryon under the bus?
Is Tryon acting (gasp!) independently?
Is it just a horse and pony show by McHenry County’s power cabal and no actual endorsement or encouragement should be taken?