McHenry County Blog

With Jim Harrison deciding that he is going to run as an Independent in the McHenry County Sheriff’s race next year, it’s time to look at what has happened in the recent past when Independents ran against Republicans.

The most prominent was when State Rep. Mark Beaubien’s widow Dee.

In that contest, Republican David McSweeney was the Republican.

Each spent heavily to demonize the other.

Coming off a contentious three-way GOP primary, McSweeney won 58% to 41%.

Grafton Township’s most recent election had a well-publicized slate of Independents running for election against winners of the Republican Party primary election.

On the top of the ticket was Huntley Village Trustee Pam Fender facing off against Independent Jim Kearns.

Republican Fender, who won a hotly-contested three-way primary election with 39% of the vote, spent about $2,500 in the first quarter of the year. This does not include the week before the election, so more may have been spent.

Independent Kearns won by just under three-quarters of one percent (1944-1877). Kearns has not filed a report with the State Board of Elections. Such reports are required if one raises or spends over $3,000 in an election.

The third recent example also occurred in Grafton Township.

In a two-way race, Al Zielinski beat incumbent Bill Ottley 55% to 45% in the Republican Primary Election.

Zielinski spent a bit over $6,200, filing his report after the required deadline. I can find no campaign disclosure report for Ottley. [Looked again after a commenter said he could find it. The only way I could find it was by using the search word "Huntley" in the name of the town. He spent spent $2,461.21, but reports a negative balance of $461.21, something I believe the State Board does not allow. All the money came from Ottley and his wife.] No report has been filed by Jensen either, but as mentioned earlier, one is only required if the $3,000 threshold has been exceeded.

In the general election, Republican Zielinski edged out Independent Terra Jensen by 5.8 percentage points (1,998-1,774).

There was also a race against Republican nominee for Grafton Township Road Commissioner Tom Poznanski. He won the GOP Primary against Richard Dvorak by 63% to 37%. Poznanski is the Chairman of the Grafton Township Republican Central Committee.

In the April General Election, Poznanski was challenged by Independent Tim Hoeft. Poznanski won by 54-46.

Over in Nunda Township Independent Leda Drain ran against Republican Lee Jennings.

Jennings had a hot primary with three people running. One withdrew her candidacy, but too late for her name to be taken off the ballot.

Jennings barely beat Bridgette Provenzano, but Provenzano endorsed his candidacy in the General Election.

The result was that Jennings got over 57% of the vote. It was Jennings 2,614 and Drain 1,937.

So in the five most recent examples, those on the Republican Party ticket four out of five contests.

If I were Harrison, I would be hoping that the GOP Primary would be so heated that the backers of Bill Prim, if Andy Zinke won the primary, would back me.

Conversely, if Prim emerged victorious, I would be hoping that Zinki’s supporters would rally around my candidacy.

That did not happen, however, in the cases of

• McSweeney
• Zielinski
• Poznanski

It apparently did occur in the case of Jim Kearns victory over Pam Fender.

This is too small a sample from which to draw a conclusion, but it does indicate that when a primary contest in contentious, supporters of those who lose can rally to the campaign of an Independent.

In the case of Independent Jim Kearns’ victory, however, his Republican opponent Pam Fender was opposed by over 60% of the Republican Primary voters.

With Independents and Democrats running against Republican Township candidates, I was interested in who got contributions from McHenry County Republican Party Chairman and State Rep. Mike Tryon.

The answer is two Grafton Township Republican candidates, one before the primary election and one after:

• $400 – 1/29/2013 – Citizens to Elect Tom Poznanski. Poznanski is the Grafton Township Republican Central Committee Chairman. He ran successfully for Grafton Township Road Commissioner.
• $250 – 3/13/2013 – Pam Fender Campaign Committee. Fender won the three-way GOP primary election for Grafton Township Supervisor, but lost the general election to Independent Jim Kearns.

Other contributions went to

• State Senator Pam Althoff – $163.43 – 3-17-13
• Dundee Township Republican Central Committee – $160 – 1-23-13
• Elgin Township Republican Central Committee – $250 – 2-12-13
• Crystal Lake City Council candidate Cameron Hubbard – $500 – 2-22-13
• McHenry County Board member Ken Koehler – $500 – 2-25 & 3-20-13
• McHenry County Republican Central Committee – $900 – 2-22-13
• Patriots United – $500 – 1-29-13
• Allen Skillicorn – $250 – 3-13-13.  Skillicorn serves on the East Dundee Village Board.

An additional $575 was contributed to unnamed candidates.

Tryon brought in a bit over $11,000 and spent almost $17,000.

The big money came from the following, most donated on March 13, 2013

• Ameren, St. Louis, MO -$1,000 – 3-13-13
• Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois PAC, Springfield – $1,000 – 3/13/13
• AT&T, Aurora – $1,000 – 3-13-13
• CAR of Illinois, Springfield – $250 – 3/13/13
• CHEM-PAC, Des Plaines – $750 – 3/13/13
• Comcast Financial Agency Corporation, Philadelphia, PA -$1,000 – 3/13/13
• Committee to re-elect State Representative Brent Hassert, Romeroville – $200 – 3/13/13
• Foresight Energy Services, St. Louis, MO – $250 – 3/13/13
• Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA – $500 – 3/29/13
• Illinois Bank Pac, Springfield – $500 – 3/13/13
• Illinois Optometric Association PAC, Springfield – $500 – 3/13/13
• Matthew O’Shea Consulting, Inc., Crest Hill- $250 – 3/13/13
• Medimune Biologies, Gaithersburg, MD – $250 – 3/29/13
• Midwest Generation, Santa Ana, CA – $500 – 3/13/13
• Neil Francis Flynn, Attorney, Springfield – $250 – 3/13/13
• Realtor Political Action Committee, Springfield- $350 – 3/13/13
• Sorling, Northrup, Hanna, Cullen & Cochran, LTD, Springfield – $500 – 3/13/13
• TRK PAC Midwest Truckers Association Inc., Springfield – $500 – 3/13/13

Another $711 came from Michael and Cathy Tryon as a “rent reimbursement.”

Expenditures that were itemized follow:

• 1776 Restaurant for meetings – $423.05 – 1/23/13
• Apoyan Rug Company, Harvard for new office carpeting – $1,850 – 1-22-13
• Cheryl L. Meyer Consulting Services, Inc. for campaign consulting – $675 – 2/22/13
• Creager Press Inc., Schaumburg, for printing – $469.62 – 3/27/13
• D’Andrea Banquets & Conference Center for fundraising deposit – $400 – 2/26/13
• Fast Forward Marketing, Crystal Lake, for social media consulting – $360 – 2/22/13
• Furniture for All, Algonquin, for new office – $346 – 1/23/13
• Huntley Raiders Lacrosse Club for sponsorship – $500 – 2/25/13
• Joan M. Etten, LLC., Park Ridge, for fundraiser postcards – $368 -3/13/13
• Joan M. Etten, LLC., Park Ridge, for fundraising supplies (leis) – $35 – 3-13-13
• Joan M. Etten, LLC., Park Ridge, for consulting – $1,000 – 3/13/1
• Moscardelli Moving & Storage, Inc., Springfield for moving- $343 – 2/22/13
• Near North Village, Springfield, for 2 months’ rent – $825 – 2/1/13
• No Kane County Chamber for Expo booth – $225 – 2/22/13
• Office Depot, Crystal Lake, Postage – $530.77 – 3/27/13
• Office Max, Crystal Lake, office supplies – $14.51
• Ross Isaac Restaurant, Springfield, Inauguration dinner – $367.10 – 2/23/13
• Jean Schober, McHenry, for campaign filing – $195 – 1/21/13
• Target, Crystal Lake, for office equipment – $760.84 – 1/10/13
• United States Postal Service for postage – $92 – 2/20/13
• United States Postal Service for postage – $90 – 1/10/13
• United States Postal Service for postage – $184 – 3/13/13
• Yacht Club At Sister Bay, Sister Bay, WI, for staff event – 466.20 – 1/10/13

Tryon had $18,149.79 remaining in his campaign fund as of the end of March.

He started 2013 with $24,015.67

Jeff Thorsen is a long-time Crystal Lake City Councilman known for not kowtowing to the “party line” at meetings.

He also is not endorsing Pam Fender, the Republican candidate for Grafton Township Supervisor.

Thorsen, a Grafton Township resident is supporting James Kearns.

He send me an email with his reasoning. It is below:

“I just want to offer you my perspective…and why I have it.

“There was a spreadsheet passed around 4 years ago illustrating the the financing mechanism for the repayment on the proposed and at that time approved Township facility debt.

“Combined with the income available to service the debt illustrated on the document, and compared to the financial results (AUDITED) from years past, the result was fairly anticipated…..it indicated that all things being equal, the Township would have been in need of alternative funding to finance the new facility [township hall]…

“I was the one originating that document and to this day I have not heard the premise nor the conclusion of that illustration challenged…..So I throw it out again.

“My estimate for the need for an alternative funding source i. e. tax anticipation warrants…came out in the fifth or sixth year…on that document, as I recall.

“The Tax anticipation warrant funding mechanism, would have lasted as a resource (mathematically) for a period longer than what would be acceptable to the holder of the warrant i. e. the bank.

“However, it would have stopped by law in (I think it was) the 8th or 9th year; thus requiring a NEW levy on the township taxpayers….

“That said, I supported the candidate that promised a termination of the project.

“I am not ashamed of that. (Trouble is we are 4 years down a different road and we are close to the need for tax anticipation warrants now…and no bank seems to want to offer that funding mechanism to our township.)

“Fast forward.

Jim Kearns

“It soon became clear a personal township cat box conflict accelerated into something more than I can conceive of even in comparison to the outrageous actions the state and federal government representatives can sometimes be capable of.”About two years ago I had a conversation with Jim Kearns…We had just met but I knew of him for many years and I know to this day as I did then that Jim is a man of his word and his hand shake.

“I know that by his reputation and because I do business with him.

“Anyway, when we talked about Grafton Township, he indicated then that he was so dissatisfied with the activities on the board…en masse..that he was considering a run for Supervisor.

“I immediately offered my support.

“I am proud of that.

“I know that Jim is the most qualified candidate for the Supervisor position.

“He is a fiscal conservative and he hates paying lawyers.

“Most importantly, he wants to serve his neighbors, as a neighbor should, with respect and faith.

“He, unlike his opponent, was not a part of and an escalating insider to the disaster that unfolded. Please consider Jim when you print about Grafton Township.

“Tell your neighbors to VOTE FOR JIM!

When I saw Republican Party Grafton Township nominee Bob Wagner in the Courthouse this morning, I asked if the Grafton Township Republican candidates were going to run as a slate as the McHenry Township candidates are.

He didn’t say, “Yes.”

I asked about the “Restore Grafton Township” slate.

“They like me,” he replied.

In driving home from the Courthouse, I passed the property of Wagner’s lawyer buddy Jim Bishop.  I saw a lot of Restore signs, plus a white and blue one that just said, “Wagner.”

You can see the blue and white sign below:

I ran some errands and happened to drive past Wagner’s office on Walkup Avenue.

Below you see what I saw:

The Independents only filed three candidates for Trustee:

• Joseph H. Holtorf
• Tamara L. Lueth
• Daniel G. Ziller, Jr.

There are four to be elected.

All are from Huntley. Holtorf was a GOP precinct committeeman in Grafton 27 in 2009. Lueth was elected GOP precinct committeeman in Grafton 4.

They are also running candidates for Supervisor, Assessor and Road Commissioner. The slate has no candidate for Township Clerk.

The Republican winner for Supervisor, Pam Fender, did not fare well in the election returns I saw for six Crystal Lake precincts.

Wagner is a former Mayor of Crystal Lake.

Why is that news?

Don’t Republicans support other Republicans on the ballot?

There was no Republican primary election in McHenry Township and all of those running for office seem to be on the same page.

Unified.

At least that’s what one might conclude from the four by eight foot sign on Route 31 just north of Route 120.

No GOP primary winner is being challenged in Algonquin Township, so no one would expect much of an effort there.

In Nunda Township, only the Supervisor is being challenged and by an Independent, not a Democrat as in McHenry Township.

The Nunda Township was just finalized this week, so maybe there will be a joint sign promoting Republicans in the near future.

In Grafton Township, there is no doubt a serious effort is being made by a group of Independents to take out all of the Republican candidates but the person on the ballot for Clerk, a write-in candidate who is running unopposed.

There were three sharp primaries in Grafton Township:

• a three-way race for Supervisor, won by Pam Fender
• a two-way race for Assessor, won by Al Zielinski
• a two-way race for Road Commissioner, won by Tom Poznanski

Poznanski is the Chairman of the Grafton Township Republican Central Committee.

So the question of the day is whether the Nunda and Grafton Township Central Committee will be putting forth any organized effort on behalf of their Republican Party candidates?

One of the pieces of literature that I didn’t get around to writing about is Grafton Township Supervisor candidate Pam Fender.

It’s interesting from two points of view.

First, it is a combination of a positive pitch for Fender on one side and hit piece about opponents Linda Moore and Marty Waitzman on the other.

Combining positive and negative pitches in the same piece of literature is not a tactic most consultants would advise.

= = = = =
I did point out to Fender that she had violated copyright laws by using photos of Moore and Waitzman from McHenry County Blog. Her volunteers subsequently crossed out the photos.

The second aspect of the piece is an innovation.

It has sticky tape which can be affixed to a glass door.

And, the glue is very difficult to remove.

Knocking on doors is done to make friends…even when the voters are not home.

The sticky tape, when stuck to storm doors, has made enemies for Fender, according to comments left under at least one previous story.

The door-to-door literature is the only promotional material I have seen.

Fender seems to have no signs and no direct mail. Perhaps she has campaigned in the Crystal Lake precincts of Grafton Township, but I have seen no evidence of such an effort.

In a low turnout election such as tomorrow’s will be, however, any candidate can win if they have identified their supporters and get them to the polls.

Here is what apparently is the last of Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore’s mailings. She is running against Pam Fender, who apparently has no direct mail, and Marty Waitzman who has sent one post card that I have seen and published.

The text of Moore’s letter on the post card follows:

“Cutting waste isn’t just a slogan.

“Four years ago, before I assumed office twelve workers on staff.

“Grafton had a part-time Township Supervisor who balanced another full-time job.

“Then I became Township Supervisor and brought change.

“After the first seven weeks as Supervisor, I made no cuts to township services, but paid eight less employees.

“Since then, the township bus services have even improved at these reduced staffing levels.

“Cutting waste and pursuing lower taxes hasn’t made me popular with the trustees of the board, but it’s what I believe in.

“Please help me continue to work hard for lower taxes in Grafton Township.”

Don’t know what order this mailing from Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore arrived, but it seems to have hit.

It could be called a comparison piece. Naturally, the person paying for it comes off better than ones who did not. Pam Fender and Marty Waitzman aspire to replace Moore.

There two now candidates using postmen (women) for their precinct workers in Grafton Township:

• Linda Moore
• Marty Waitzman

The third candidate for the Republican nomination for Township Supervisor is Pam Fender.

I shall be posted mailings that candidates or other supply me between now and Tuesday’s election so you can get a sense of this part of the campaign.

Here’s is the first Waitzman piece I have seen:

It was called a candidates’ forum by the Civics Committee of Sun City, but three of the Grafton Township Supervisor candidates turned it into a game of pile-on Linda Moore.

Moore, of course, is the incumbent.

Republican primary opponents Marty Waitzman and Pam Fender, as well as Independent Jim Kearns took turns taking shots at Moore.

The result was that Moore was on the defensive most of the evening.

Indeed, her closing statement was characterized as being “defensive” by a woman sitting behind me.

She pointed out that before her election she and a list of citizens she enumerated had sued the Town Board to stop the construction of a new township hall.

Her side won the case, but the Trustees appealed the decision “and lost.”

“The Trustees wasted a half million dollars” on legal fees, she said.

Then there was a referendum in which 85% of the people voted against building a new township hall.

When they tried “to remove me from office,” the Trustees ran up legal bills of $470,000.

“There is no way to stop the legal fees [until they are out of office].”

Then she talked about having paid all the bill that were “legitimate proper bills,” she said, pointing to state statutes that governed what type of bills could be paid with township dollars.

“This election will bring us full circle,” she claimed.

She said she was the “only member of the Board to vote against taking more money out of your pockets.”

“There’s no way to stop what’s going on until these people are off the [Township] Board,” Moore had said earlier.

Grafton Township Trustee Jerry McMahon’s wife Donna pointed out during the question period that tax dollars homeowners would have saved if her husband and the other three trustees had voted to tax as much as state law allows was minimum.

She criticized Moore’s characterization of the Trustees’ action as being a “tax to the max” approach. McMahon also criticized Moore for the campaign pitch, “You can lower taxes.” [All four trustees did vote to take as much money from taxpayers as state law allows, as McHenry County Blog has reported several times. The argument in favor of such action has been that the government would lose the money forever if the maximum was not requested.]

Marty Waitzman had several characterizations of Moore’s term:

• “For all intents and purposes, Grafton Township has ground to a halt.”
• “Oh, my God. There is no civility. No cooperation. Nothing but arguments.”
• “You don’t have to spend as much time as is now spent. Garbage in, garbage out.”
• “I think you should be prosecuted.”
• “The Township Supervisor is not the supreme being on this board.”

Pam Fender was loaded for bear, too:

Pam Fender

• “It is obvious Mrs. Moore is in over her head.”
• “A Supervisor is supposed to be nice.”
• “I won’t cash checks that don’t belong to the Township.”
• “[You] need to work on your people skills.”
• “We don’t need more lawsuits, more lawyers.”

Jim Kearns got in his licks, too:

• “You should treat others as you would want to be treated.  There’s not a lot of that going on in Grafton Township.”
• “Right now, this Township doesn’t know where it’s at.”
• “I’m going to stop the legal fees.”


Jim Kearns

• “When we dig our heels in, we’re not going to get very far.  We are fools, folks.”
• “We’ve got to learn how to talk with each other.”

There was a question about the efficiency of the bus service.

Waitzman got first shot.  He said, “It’s not about numbers.  It’s about making certain people get the transportation they need.”

“I don’t think the bus should be efficient,” Fender said.  She talked about making it available from 7 AM to 9 PM.

“We need to treat them with respect,” Kearns added.  He added that there was no reason the Road Commissioner’s employees couldn’t change the oil in the bus, rather than paying $150 to “the Ford Dealer up the street.”

Moore reported that she had reduced the cost by one-third, from $75,000 to $50,000, while ridership had increased “steadily throughout the four years.”

“We can’t have inefficient programs in government,” she asserted.  She said that she asked seniors who had trips that were individual in nature to call Faith in Action and Senior Services.

“We do the best we can with what we have,” pointing to using the van, instead of the bus if wheelchair seniors needed transportation.

All four said they had no plans to build a new township hall.

With regard to campaign financing, all the candidates seem to be pretty much paying for their own campaigns.