Someone passed on a letter from early October from Brent Smith, whose letterhead said “McHenry County Republican Party Treasurer.”

In it, Smith said that he had been appointed treasurer of the GOP Central Committee by “Chairman LeFew.”

He said he was replacing the former treasurer, who “resigned from the position due to personal and family obligations.

Kathie Schultz’ McHenry County Yearbook for 2007-8 says that treasurer was John Rossi, who is also the Grafton Township Supervisor.

Besides identifying himself as the new party treasurer, Smith said he chairs the “recruitment committee” and has “been very busy planning and working Nunda events.”

I’m pretty sure that I have talked with Smith. If so, he is the one who was active in Louisiana Republican politics, supporting parish (Louisiana’s term for what we call counties), congressional and statewide candidates. He may have said judges, too.

In other words, he likes to campaign.

Besides saying that he is the central committee treasurer, Smith says he is a Nunda Township Committeeman. Brent Smith is listed as the appointed precinct committeeman in Nunda 23 in the 2007-8 yearbook.

In 2008, he was elected committeeman in Nunda 21.

I can’t find a Brent Smith listed as an elected or appointed Nunda Township committeeman in the 2005-6 or 2003-4 yearbooks.

Smith also led the successful revolt against the leadership of McHenry County Board member Nick Provenzano of the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee. 20 of Nunda’s then-29 committeeman showed up for the contentious meeting with more than one influential committeeman sitting out the fight. LeFew also attended, even though he is from the northwestern-most township, Chemung.

Provenzano, the man who put together a phone bank for 8th congressional district Republican candidate David McSweeney, was up for re-nomination to the county board in District 3 and won handily.

It appears that Smith has enjoyed a meteoric rise in influence in the McHenry County Republican Party.

I certainly can’t remember an appointed precinct committeeman being appointed to any of the four county GOP party offices. The others, besides LeFew, are now Richard Mack, vice chairman, and Aaron Shepley, secretary. Mack is village president of Ringwood and Shepley is mayor of Crystal Lake. Both are well-established politicians.

I am told Smith is an active member of Operating Engineers Local 150, based in Lakemoor. Local 150 owns the Lakemoor Banquet Hall where the annual Lincoln Day Dinner is held. This past year I am told that it resembled Family Feud, with supporters of McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi and those of challenger Dan Regna in attendance but not happy with each other. The Operating Engineers were for Regna.

The most successful McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman since the late 1960’s, Al Jourdan, worked with union leader Chuck August, who lives in Wauconda, if memory serves me correctly, to locate the banquet hall in McHenry County, but ended up just one tote over the line because a McHenry County site could not be located.

When the notice of Wednesday’s GOP convention at the VFW were sent out, I was surprised not to see Secretary Shepley’s name on its bottom, next to LeFew’s.

Instead, Treasurer Smith’s name appeared.

So, it seems reasonable to conclude that LeFew favors Smith’s election Wednesday night.

Fred Wickham, a long-time Republican precinct committeeman from Crystal Lake and former city councilman who now works with his wife Lynn at Wickham’s Interiors in Downtown Crystal Lake, has decided to challenge Smith.

(Before I go further, let it be known that I have known Fred since Crystal Lake Jaycee days–that’s over three decades–and will be voting for him.)

Here is the letter than Wickham emailed to committeemen:

Dear Committeemen, Committeewomen,

I am seeking the position of Treasurer of the McHenry County Republican Central Committee. Following is a brief description of my credentials and my interest.

I have lived in Crystal Lake and McHenry County for more than 37 years. I have been active in local politics and local government for approximately 35 years.

I have been elected Republican Precinct Committeeman 9 times and have now served in this office for more than 16 years.

My experience includes being elected to the Crystal Lake City Council for two terms (8 years) and serving on the Crystal Lake Zoning Board for one year.

I have also served as Treasurer for the McHenry County Right to Life PAC for one year. It has also been my good fortune to have worked for many local candidates and to have been involved in many political campaigns over the years.

I hold a BS degree in Political Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) with a minor in business. For more than 20 years I was an executive in commercial real estate in downtown Chicago. I managed and sold high office buildings on Wacker and State, Michigan Ave. and other downtown Chicago locations. I continue to hold an Illinois real estate license.

Currently, I am Vice President for Wickham Interiors, Inc., an interior design firm with a retail store in Crystal Lake.

I am also a member of the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce.For many years I have served on various committees, both as a member and as an officer. I have been heavily involved in both business and church activities.

Currently I am honored to be a member of the McHenry County Prayer Breakfast Committee and I also am serving as Treasurer of the first, annual Illinois Catholic Prayer Breakfast being held in Chicago.

In the recent past I was elected Chairman of the Pastoral Council for a local church and served for 3 years. I continue to support the C.L. Chamber of Commerce and the C.L. Downtown/Main Street Association.

If elected Treasurer of the Central Committee, I would promote the following goals:

1. To unify and heal the McHenry County Republican Party. To promote an inclusive Republican organization open to all interests, groups, and critical recommendations.
2. To open all McHenry County Republican financial records to Committeemen on a regular basis. I believe all financial records, expenses, and contributions should be transparent and available to Republican Committeemen.
3. To promote the growth and development of the Republican Party and its’ ideals and principals in McHenry County.

I hope that you will consider supporting my candidacy for Treasurer of the McHenry County Central Committee. If you have any suggestions or questions, please let me know. Thank you.

Fred