McHenry County Blog

A press release from Congressman Randy Hultgren:

Hultgren Wins Second Term

ST. CHARLES, IL-Congressman Randy Hultgren was elected to his second term in Congress tonight with a substantial margin over his Democrat opponent Dennis Anderson.

Congressman Hultgren provided the following statement regarding his victory:

“I am humbled and appreciative for the support and faith that the voters in the 14th Congressional district have bestowed upon me.

“It’s no secret that our country and state face great challenges. Out of control government spending, high unemployment, anti-small business policies, home foreclosures and more are all hindering our opportunities at reaching the American Dream.

“I look forward to addressing those challenges and I plan on fighting harder than ever to ensure that we identify responsible solutions to the many difficult issues facing our great country.”

While voting at Crystal Lake’s Main Beach House (thank you Park District officials for putting democracy in front of renting out the room for karati!), a confused young man was pointed to me.

He wanted to know whether the precinct was in the 6th or the 14th Congressional District.

I told him the 6th.

He wanted to know where the 14th began and I told him the boundary was in front of my house, Meridian Street.

He wasn’t the only one confused.

Turnout was good at both my precinct, Algonquin 7, and Algonquin 19, which votes at the same location.

At about 4 this afternoon, there were 212 votes that had been cast in Algonquin 7. In addition, there were 86 early and absentee ballots to be counted.

For Algonquin 19, which has more voters, 230 had voted in person, plus 102 who had voted earlier.

There were handmade signs opposing Jack Franks’ County Executive referendum posted near the polling place.

A press release from 14th District Democratic Party Congressional candidate Dennis Anderson:

Harvard’s McGarry Bowl Hosts Dennis Anderson for Congress Fundraiser

Crystal Lake—Dennis Anderson, Democratic candidate for Congress in the new 14th District will have a bowling and pizza fundraiser this Saturday, September 1 from 3:30 to 6:30 at McCarry’s Bowl, 5507 S, Highway 14 in Harvard.

Much of McHenry County now lies in the 14th District following reapportionment. Anderson faces Republican Congressman Randy Hultgren in the November election.

Tickets are $30, $50 per couple and kids under 17 accompanied by an adult, $8. Tickets include three games of bowling, shoe rental, pizza and soft drinks. Tickets may be purchased on line at https://secure.actblue.com/page/sparethe14th or at the door.

For more information call the Anderson for Congress Crystal Lake office at 815 444-0305.

Folks in McHenry County can probably be excused for not knowing that 14th District Congressman Randy Hultgren, a Republican re-distracted into all of McHenry County except Algonquin Township (which is to be in Congressman Peter Roskam’s 8th District) has a Democratic Party opponent.

His name is Dennis Anderson and he is from Gurnee.  (Yes, Gurnee is in this Madigandered district.)

Anderson beat Woodstock resident Jonathan Farnick 9,344 to 3,258 in the Democratic Party primary.

Note that Hultgren received 64,419 votes in the GOP primary.

That means Anderson has a Himalayan slope to climb in his attempt to win the 14th Congressional District seat.

Driving to Woodstock I’ve noticed two yard signs in front of the strip mall where 16th District Congressman Don Manzullo used to have his office.

They said, “Anderson for Congress.”

I went up to look in the office a while ago and saw no activity.

Monday, there were lights in the office.

As I was taking photos a young man got out of a car and asked what I was doing.

I told him and he indicated that was the office where he was going.

I asked if the candidate were in and he said Anderson was at a meeting.

I asked if he were the campaign manager.

He said he wasn’t.

An email and press release from Jonathon Farnick, whose filing for the 14th District Democratic Party nomination for Congress I previously missed.  He advanced his candidacy for the 2010 primary against Melissa Bean, as well as for the 2008 primary.  Both times his petitions didn’t hold up.

This time he has no Democratic Party incumbent to contend with. He will face off against Gurnee’s Dennis Anderson.

“It’s a new day, a new year, and a new election cycle.

“Hope that you’ve been keeping up with the races all about.

“I’m back in it again, and this time am on the ballot. Passing along a PR I’ve been sending out.”

The press release:

This is a notification of the candidacy of Jonathan Farnick for the Democratic nomination for newly redrawn 14th Congressional District in Illinois, encompassing

primarily parts of the old 8th District, previously of Melissa Bean (D) and

currently of Joe Walsh (R) and

the old 14th District, previously of Bill Foster (D) and currently of Randy Hultgren (R).

From the home page of his web site: http://www.farnick.com:

Jonathan is running for the Democratic nomination for the newly redrawn 14th Congressional District in Illinois in the March 20th, 2012 Primary Election.

He believes that we need more and better Democrats in elective office and that this will bring a positive, needed change for this country.

The major obstacle that has to be addressed is this country’s $15 trillion national debt.

We will shortly come to a point where we cannot afford the programs that we need, let alone the programs that we may want.

It won’t matter if you are left or right, Democrat or Republican, progressive or conservative, independent or partisan: there will come a time that there is no money left for whatever you may want or expect the Federal Government to do.

We got into this mess because of overspending in many areas on one side of the ledger and constantly lowering taxes, and therefore revenue, on the other side.

Some spending cuts and the raising of some taxes need to be done to address this.

He has been a critic from the left of the Administration and Congress (past and present).

Supportive of what Candidate Obama has said, he would press President Obama to put them into action, but would try to curtail his penchant of continuing some of George Bush’s worst policies and actions that do a disservice to this nation.

The continued occupation of Afghanistan and operation of the detention facilities at Guantanamo both need to end. The application of the rule of law regarding torture and other war crimes has never been addressed.

The application of the rule of law regarding fraud and corruption on Wall Street has never been addressed.

The continuation of drone strikes and unfortunate “collateral damage” of civilians.

The summary execution of an American citizen (and his 16 year old son two weeks later) without trial or proven guilt.

Republican claims of “Protecting Your Freedoms and Liberties” is a farce when it comes to passing bills from

• the liberty reducing Patriot Act,
• the Military Commissions Act,
• the FISA Amendments Act, to
• the latest Defense Authorization.

They also care not about fair trade, consumer protections, or free speech and the internet.

Nowhere on this site will you see a link or button to “Donate Here”.

Jonathan wants your vote, not your money.

We need to get money and undue influence out of politics.

Until we do, politics as usual will be what happens, don’t expect otherwise. Congress has an average 12% approval rating, sending the same people back will only result in the same results:

• More debt,
• more legislation beneficial to special interests at the detriment of the rest of the country, and
• more gridlock,

as the Republicans of this day have shown: it’s their way or they will try to stop anything from happening.

Thank you for stopping by this site.

Tell your family members and friends, associates and co-workers.

You, and they, will not be

• seeing ads on television,
• hearing ads on the radio,
• see ads in the print or online media,
• be getting unwanted robo-calls, or
• see signs plastered all over the district.

A conversation, with dialog and debate, about this race and the others that each of you will be voting on, is more important, will be more informative, and leave you with a better understanding of what we all need from our elected representatives.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Any questions can be directed to the candidate.

Jonathan Farnick

jonfarnick@gmail.com

Former McHenry Alderman and Democratic Party Chairman in McHenry County Frank McClatchey has sent the following email withdrawing his candidacy for Congress in the 14th District against Republican Randy Hultgren.

There is a candidate from Gurnee, Dennis Anderson. Gurnee is about as far east in this far-flung district as one can get.

The winner of the Democratic Party primary election will face off against Republican Randy Hultgren.

Here’s McClatchey’s email today:

Today, former McHenry Alderman Frank McClatchey announced that he will not be a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois 14th District.

I got in the race to run and win against Joe Walsh, the Congressman in the district now, and I know that constituents could have done much better by electing me.

>With Walsh out of the race, and no primary for Walsh against Congressman Hultgren, the road to victory has been closed, McClatchey said.

McClatchey has served as the small business coordinator for the Illinois office of the U.S. Senate, was the consumer advocate for the Chicago office of the Illinois Attorney General and owned a business in McHenry.

I hope Congress will work together to solve the critical problems of the day, and also work on campaign finance reform to get money out of politics, said McClatchey, who has a solid background of working across political aisles to do what is best for constituents, regardless of which party is at the helm.

This was not an easy decision, and I thank the hundreds of people who helped me with our petition drive, and raising donations,” McClatchey said.