Time was that the laying on of hands to a candidate by elected officials was considered a benefit.
Maybe it still is.
But not so much.
Challenger Andrew Gasser defeated long-time incumbent Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller by 145 votes.
Not a very large victory margin.
Results in the Algonquin Township Republican Primary Election for Road Commissioner.
Aaron Shepley
John Schmitt
Miller was endorsed by the following majors and village presidents, according to his web page:
- Aaron T. Shepley, Mayor, City of Crystal Lake
- John Schmitt, President, Village of Algonquin
- Mark Kownick, Mayor, Village of Cary
- Robert Nunamaker, President, Village of Fox River Grove
- Bob Baker, President, Village of Trout Valley
- Erin Smith, Preisdent, Village of Lakewood
- Paul Smith, President, Village of Oakwood Hills
- Shannon Yeaton, President, Village of Port Barrington
Barb Wheeler
Pam Althoff
Bill Prim
Others who are listed on his web site as endorsing Miller follow:
- William “Bill” Prim, McHenry County Sheriff
- Pamela J. Althoff, 32nd District State Senator
- Barbara Wheeler, 64th District State Representative
- Michael W. Tryon, retired 66th District State Representative [and GOP Party Chairman]
- Jack Schaffer, retired State Senator
- Robert Nowak, District 1 County Board Member
- Donal Kopsell District 3 County Board Member, former Nunda Twp. Highway Commissioner
- Dianne Klemm, Algonquin Township Supervisor
- Lee Jennings, Nunda Township Supervisor
- Haig Haleblian, [appointed] Crystal Lake City Council Member
- Carolyn Schofield, former District 2 County Board Member and Crystal Lake Council Member
- Tim Mahaffy, School District 3 Superintendent
- Bob Kreher, Chief, Fox River Grove Fire Protection District
- Mike Markowitz, Trustee, Algonquin Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District
- Scott Migaldi, Cary Area Public Library Trustee
- Craig Kingston, VP, District 155 Education Association
- Marshall Lowe, business owner and retired Village of Cary Trustee
- George Lowe, businessman and former McHenry County College Trustee
- John Reese, Fox River Grove Streets & Parks Operations Manager
- Ron Lukasik, Chief of Police, Fox River Grove
- Mark Chernak, Public Works Superintendent, Cary
- Bob Blazier, former Superintendent District 47, past President, Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce
- John Blazier, Crystal Lake
Tom Poznanski
Mike Lesperance
All other Road Commissioners supported MIller:
- Bart Schnulle, Alden Twp.
- Daniel E. Sutton, Burton Twp.
- Donald Staver, Chemung Twp.
- Donald Argall, Coral Twp.
- Tom Thurman, Dorr Twp.
- David Nolan, Dunham Twp.
- Tom Poznanski, Grafton Twp.
- Don Goad, Greenwood Twp.
- Michael Murray, Hartland Twp.
- Zeke L. Nickels, Hebron Twp.
- John Adamson, Jr., Marengo Twp.
- James Condon, McHenry Twp.
- Mike Lesperance, Nunda Twp.
- Dave Bockelmann, Richmond Twp.
- Dave Diamond, Riley Twp.
- Scott Swanson, Seneca Twp.
Maybe Miller would have lost by more votes had he not had these folks endorsing him.
But, maybe the value in an endorsement can be counted in the one vote that the person making the endorsement is allowed to cast…plus family members.
Personally I am convinced that Miller lost because he refused to realize that paying his spouse almost $100,000 per year to function as his secretary was WAY out of line in an environment where people are fed up with government in general and specific the never ending tax / fee increases.
All Bob had to do was retire her.
He refused – he lost.
Andrew won.
End of story.
Endorsements by people living outside the voting area carry less weight than it use to, almost none now.
Anti Nepotism, anti long serving incumbent, and even anti township form of gov all played in the election totals.
The low ethics Chicago style last min gotcha politics may have made a difference, but IMO the voters had made up their minds months ago.
I wish voters were that involved and easily defined however clearly Gasser’s win was a sign of the discontent.
Unfortunately the political climate and machine in Illinois will continue to grind down the average taxpayer until finally like the frog analogy they realize they’ve been cooked.
Personally I have begun my wind down from the system selling a comfortable large home for a much smaller fixer upper in order to reduce my real estate tax footprint from almost 9000 in cary to 2500 in a nearby town.
The savings are being used for the next step which includes a move to a low tax state with a better climate.
Not an easy decision emotionally as I have friends and family that will stay but it is becoming clearer that if I ever want to retire without struggling financially, Illinois is not the place to do this.
I thing the McHenrycountyblog.com had something to do with Mr. Gasser’s win.
Andrew’s polite reponses to his critics showed a winning attitude.
Nepotism has to GO!
Problem is the job requires a whole lot of on the job training.
I hope Mr. Gasser has a lot of help and cooperation getting things done.
Pray for Wisdom!
And may I add that Mr. Gasser get advice from some old farmers that are familiar with the history, geology, hydrology and problems that might be avoided when we all work together.
I have dear memories listening to the Wisdom poured out from The Lippolds, Houdeks, Ebels, Fossees, and so many other departed farmers my family associated with.
We live in the most wonderful place in the world, because of the people and freedoms and love for God and Country.
God Bless America, America Bless God! (God has ALREADY blessed America, now WE need to bless God!
Also shows that signs do not win an election, I have never seen so many campaign sign as Miller put out.
I think Bob Dylan may have said it best, but the political landscape in McHenry County is changing and Andrew Gasser’s win is part of the new wave of change.
“Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s the battle outside raging
It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changing”
“The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slowest now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fading
And the first one now will later be last
Cause the times they are a-changing”
Bob Dylan
Althoff’s endorsement is the kiss of death!
Orville?
I had just now been rereading how Dylan never wrote any of that stuff.
It was actually Leonard Cohen.
Change is a really deep subject.
It was all foisted upon us for nefarious reasoning.
Vey interesting how our lives have all been sculpted.
I thin there is another observation to be made.
I have been watching elections closely for some time now.
I have found that many of the candidates that won, DO NOT HAVE A JOB.
They can put ALL of their time in going door to door, functions, etc.
Some that have jobs were they work at home and can juggle the hours as they please to accommodate their time to go door to door, etc.
They also have won over those with jobs that require hours and cannot do any political work (such as phone calling) during work hours.
They are very limited.
I have seen many who have won over more qualified and experienced people, are those who have more free time.
It does make difference.
We should thing about these things before voting.
Voting for a person because they came to your door, may not be the best choice.
Call other candidates, email, etc. and learn about them.
Should start with ” I think”. Sorry.
It’s common sense that if several family members have well paying jobs at the same unit of government the elected official is at risk of losing the election.
A lot of people on those lists have done nothing but live high on the hog at the taxpayers expense.
I’d rather be endorsed by the Taliban than most of those parasites, God forgive me.
CP – Actually, the people I speak of did not have your issue.
I agree with conservative voter.
Miller could have won.
He has the experience.
People just thought the nepotism was too greasy.
James K if if I made as much as one family I could hire someone to go door to door too speak for me, or let all the signs speak for me.