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.

Woodstock Opera House last summer when the painted horses were all over the Downtown area.

Republican, Democratic and Green Party organization conventions will be held today.

The Republicans will meet at the Woodstock VFW at 7, the Democrats at the Woodstock Opera House at 7 and the Greens at the Woodstock Library at 6:30.

Since the Democrats were the only one to send out a press release, I put it below:

County Democrats Meet in Convention Wednesday at Opera House

Crystal Lake–The Democratic Party of McHenry County will meet in Woodstock for its bi-annual Convention at 7 PM Wednesday, March 3 at the Woodstock Opera House, 121 West Van Buren Street.

The Convention will elect Central Committee officers including Chair, Vice-chair, Treasurer, Secretary and General Counsel to serve until the next convention in 2012.  There will also be an election of District Chairs to represent each of McHenry County’s six County Board Districts.  District Chairs sit with the officers on the Party Executive Board.

Precinct Representatives elected in the February Primary will be eligible to vote.  Each will cast a weighted vote equal to the total number of Democratic voters in the Primary in his or her precinct.

Although only elected Precinct Representatives can vote, all Democrats and members of the public are welcome.

For further information see www.mchenrydems.orgop.

Joint sign for Mary Donner and Nick Provenzano for county board showed up for the first time the night before the election around polling places. Provenzano lost the election to Democratic Party challenger, now central committee chair, Kathy Bergan Schmidt.

It wasn’t that Provenzano and Jung didn’t have signs up supporting their re-election.

In retrospect, I believe it was because they did not run joint campaigns with their Republican running mates.

There was nothing but being next to each other on the Republican Party ballot to encourage supporters of their running mates to vote for them as well.

This causation factor hit me the night before the election when I saw this joint yard sign for Mary Donner and Provenzano.

It turned out to be too little, too late,

Provenzano lost to Kathy Bergan Schmidt and Paula Yensen beat Jung.

Yard signs for John Jung running mate Virginia Peschke began showing up two weekends before the election in which Democrat Paula Yensen picked off Jung. Peschke ran first.

Jung’s running mate, Virginia Peschke, put on no discernible campaign until yard signs appeared about two weekends before the fall election.

So, here’s my unsolicited advice to Republican county board candidates.

Convince your running mates to have joint yard signs.

Even if you don’t like them and they don’t like you.

Consider it a self-preservation move.

Right now, most GOP candidates don’t have Democratic Party opponents.

It is legal for the Democratic Party to slate candidates. They’ve done it before.

Certainly, it is difficult to find candidates like Yensen and Schmidt, people who will put shoe leather into a campaign.

Campaigning is boring work.

But, there are personal benefits. Candidates who are serious tend to miss meals and, because of that and the energy required going door-to-door, lose weight.

Nevertheless, odds are good that the Democrats won’t find vigorous candidates and, without “fire in the belly” opponents, Republican ballot holders probably aren’t in much trouble in this year of the backlash to corruption so evident among the Democrats’ high profile politicians.

But, it’s always better to do more, rather than less, in an election campaign.

If I were running for county board, I’d want a joint sign campaign.

And joint literature.

Especially, if I came in second in the primary election.

Twenty-three people are vying for twelve spots on the fall ballot.

Thirteen are women; ten men.

In District 1, incumbents Anna May Miller and Yvonne Barnes are being challenged by Cary’s Bob Nowak.

In District 2, incumbents Ken Koehler and Lyn Orphal will face not only MCC Board member Donna Kurtz, but Crystal Lake City Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller, but also Sandra DePaul.

Mueller likes to be last on the ballot, but she didn’t wait long enough this afternoon. DePaul gets the coveted spot, worth an extra 5% in a six-person race, probably less in this five-person race.

In District 3, newly energized entrepreneur Craig Steagall, who lives just north of Crystal Lake will take on incumbent Barb Wheeler, former county board member Nick Provenzano and newcomers Veronica Armstrong and Karen Tynis.

Steagall is known for his full-page ads in the Northwest Herald in opposition to Metra’s purchase of 17 acres next to the old 84 Lumber (new Alexander’s Lumber) on Country Club Road.

Those ads have attacked McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler. Less well known is that he put together the people who built Prairie Ridge High School’s soccer field.

In District 5, Dave Frederick filed his nominating papers. The veterinarian will be running against incumbent Tina Hill and former county board member John Jung. The announced candidacy of John Vrett did not materialize.

In District 6, incumbent Mary McCann filed her petitions Monday. She joins incumbent Dan Ryan and challengers Richard Draper of Wonder Lake, Dianne Evertsen of Hartland Township and Victor Naursis of Woodstock.

Zane Seipler, the man challenging almost 11-year incumbent Republican McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren has issues a press release challenging the incumbent’s credentials as a Republican. The statement follows:

Republican Sheriff Keith Nygren’s Support of the Democratic Party

Woodstock, IL, September 30, 2009- In the latter part of the 1970’s, Keith Nygren embarked on a political career.

Record states that Mr. Nygren was a Democratic committeeman in Algonquin Township.

At the age of 32, Keith Nygren was endorsed as the candidate for the appointment of sheriff by the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee. He did not get the appointment but his career as a politician began.

Keith Nygren was appointed Sheriff of McHenry County in 1997, this time as a Republican.

Prior to 1997, Mr. Nygren never participated in Republican Party politics.

According to recent record, Sheriff Nygren has not completely left his Democratic ideologies behind.

At a time when the Republican Party struggles to rebuild, Sheriff Nygren gives financial aid to a local Democratic leader.

Not just once but several times over the past couple of years.

When the Republican Party is in need of cohesiveness, leadership and support, Sheriff Nygren openly undermines the party that appointed him to office.

By providing campaign contributions to members of the Democratic Party, Keith Nygren turns his back on the Republican campaign donors that have helped solidify his tenure over the past 12 years.

Bi-partisan relationships are necessary in all aspects of government, including law enforcement.

Financing the other team crosses the line.

If Mr. Nygren has formed personal relationships with members of the opposing party, those relationships are to be respected.

Party unity and loyalty should also be respected.

Republican campaign contributions should not end up in Democratic coffers.

County Republican leaders should not be attending breakfast fundraisers for any member of the Democratic Party.

I am asking Republican Sheriff Keith Nygren to publically withdraw his support for any and all Democrats running for office, or to resign from the Republican Party.

= = = = =

I presume Seipler is referring to Keith Nygren’s name being listed as a member of State Rep. Jack Franks’ “Host Committee” for his October 3, 2009, fund raiser.

He is not the only Republican whose name was published–a couple of letters at a time–over the last two weeks on McHenry County Blog.

If don’t want to go down on the blog to find the article you seek, just click on the image you wish to enlarge.

Zane Seipler is the head shot on top of the article. Keith Nygren’s is just below.

If only our Illinois General Assembly and Congress equipped taxpayers with safety restraints such as these two carnival rides have. Somehow, I have the feeling we taxpayers will be flung to the winds before next year’s elections.

I think I found all the political booths, but I know I didn’t get pictures of all the religious ones. For instance, after I had sent my camera to the car with too-soon tired-out kids, I saw the Fellowship of Christian Farmers tent. That was the first I had heard of them.

Nevertheless, in order of my sightings, here are the political booths I spotted:

The McHenry County Citizens for Choice had a booth next to one for Democratic Party Congresswoman Melissa Bean.

Next was the McHenry County Republican Party’s booth. A broadly smiling Marge Nygren greeted me.

At 16th District Congressman Don Manzullo’s booth, I found former Libertarian Party candidate for State Representative Jim Young talking to Frank Sexton.

And, I found this chart showing the Republican explanation of President Barack Obama’s and the congressional Democrats’ health care plan.

The next political booth I saw was for Secretary of State Jesse White. It was unmanned at just after 12, so many the state employee was at lunch. Or, maybe the very presence of the booth means there is still room for budget cutting.

McHenry County Libertarians were next on my tour. Ben Hancock (on the left) and Jim Young were manning the booth.

A second booth about abortion was around the corner. There (seen left to right) Megan Kraft of Woodstock, Betty Marie Leslie, also of Woodstock, and McHenry’s Connie Freund (second from the right) were handing out balloons for 1st Way Pregnancy Support Services.

At the Democratic Party booth were Mary Erlenborn of Bull Valley and Cary’s Dan Giallombardo. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, now running for the Democratic Party nomination for U.S. Senate, is scheduled to come Saturday. Someone (not while I was at the booth) told me that State Rep. Jack Franks was again in Canada. Undoubtedly, the dicussion will be about what office Franks should seek now that the media have made the Democratic primary into a two-way race between appointed-Governor Pat Quinn and State Comptroller Dan Hynes.

Another booth dedicated to the pro-life movement was sponsored by McHenry County Deanery Respect Life. You see Jan Doyle and Rosemary Kondritz, both from Johnsburg.

Next I visited the turkeys.
Didn’t even have to go to Springfield or Washington
to see one of them flaring.

The 4-H food tent had wonderful cheeseburgers for $3.50.

Making a second pass in an exhibit building, I saw Algonquin Township Trustee Lowell Cutsforth and Debbie Justus had joined Marge Nygren.

Since I took photos of the congressional and secretary of State’s booths, I guess I should have taken some of Sheriff Keith Nygren’s governmental booths, but I forgot.

I did pick up a rumor about a potential Democratic Party opponent for Nygren. If it pans out, that would make three people running for the office. Gus Philpott has already announced he is going to run on the Green Party ticket. There was no Green Party booth.

All of the booths mentioned, by the way, could undoubtedly use your assistance, if you are so inclined.

Those wishing more information can get it from

Sounds like a way for young folks to meet others with whom they can have a political discussion without preliminary probing of whether a critical comment about President Barack Obama’s government intrusion into the economy would be met with hostility. The VFW has a bar.

But I found his election data most compelling.

Look at the differences between four years ago and now.

McHenry County still did best for the Republican presidential candidate, but look at the voters who flipped.

McHenry County went from +20% to minus 5.3% — a 25.1 percentage point difference.

Undoubtedly part of that resulted from John McCain having absolutely no television ads which Barack Obama blanketed the airwaves to carry Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Still.

A 25% shift is reason for some serious thinking on the part of McHenry County GOP leaders.

But I found his election data most compelling.

Look at the differences between four years ago and now.

McHenry County still did best for the Republican presidential candidate, but look at the voters who flipped.

McHenry County went from +20% to minus 5.3% — a 25.1 percentage point difference.

Undoubtedly part of that resulted from John McCain having absolutely no television ads which Barack Obama blanketed the airwaves to carry Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Still.

A 25% shift is reason for some serious thinking on the part of McHenry County GOP leaders.

The cost for each to the Illinois Republican Party is reported to be $1,296. The mailing is coming from Buford, Georgia, of all places.

Not only is Lou Bianchi, the GOP candidate for State’s Attorney getting that amount, but Phyllis Walters, the Republican candidate for Recorder of Deeds is credited with a similar contribution from the Illinois Republican Party.

And the same amount to Katherine M Keefe, the GOP candidate for Circuit Clerk.

Same for Pam Palmer, the County Auditor, who is running for re-election.

I think I am seeing a pattern.

Total cost – $6,480.

I think it is for the joint mailing I wrote a story on Friday. That’s where you can read the “Top Ten Reasons to Vote for Local Republicans.”