Barb Wheeler Barely Passes Bill to Cut Power of Precinct Committeemen in Party Caucuses

Barb Wheeler

The Illinois General Assembly settled a fight among McHenry Township Republicans Wednesday.

Four years ago, insurgent Republicans took control of the McHenry Township Republican Party from followers of long-time power house Al Jourdan, Jr.

Members of the former ruling faction had installed their members as McHenry Township officials (minus the Assessor, who defeated the GOP incumbent four years ago).

A tradition had developed in which those desiring to retire left office early.

That allowed those still in office to fill the vacancies with their favorites, thus giving them an advantage.

The new folks continued their control of the McHenry GOP two years ago.

Pam Althoff

And, in a dance similar to what happens in Chicago when a new ward committeeman is elected abd subsequently goes after the alderman’s seat, they decided they wanted their people to take the township offices.

Instead of holding a Republican Township Primary Election, the Central Committee decided to hold a party caucus.

In a meeting to set the rules the Precinct Committeemen decided to give each the number of votes cast in their precinct in the last GOP Primary Election.

Others from those who voted in that primary would be given one vote.

That vote would be subtracted from that of their Precinct Committeeman.

Sensing the disadvantage, the incumbent township officials, at least one of whom had participated in the rule setting Central Committee meeting, started passing petitions as Independents.

Members of that slate who were GOP Committeemen also resigned from that post.

The caucus was held.

There a motion was made to allow each person attending one vote was made.

The vote was by one-man, one-vote and the weighted voting procedure was approved by a large margin.

Supporters of the Independents argued that they would have won had they known such a vote were to be taken.

In any event, the favorites of the new ruling coalition were nominated.

In defense of conducting a caucus rather than a primary election to nominate candidates, the Republicans said taxpayers saved the $38,000 it would have taken to print ballots, advertise and hire election judges.

There was then contentious petition challenges and cross-challenges, which, after much argument, were withdrawn.

The election was held with a split electoral decision.

The names of the people on the Independents’ slate

The rules for the caucus were a key issue in the race between those designated as Republicans on the ballot and those, most of whom had been appointed as Republicans, running as Independents.

The second mailing from the McHenry Township Republicans

The Township Supervisor and Road Commissioner supported by State Senator Pam Althoff won narrow victories.

Appointed Supervisor Craig Adams, running as an Independent, beat Republican Steve Verr by 86 votes, 3,471 to 3,385.

Appointed High Way Commissioner James Condon captured the Road Commissioner spot by 139 votes over Republican Steve Koerber.

The new “organization” Republican nominees took all four Township Trustee spots, plus that of the Township Clerk.

The results for McHenry Township Trustee show township opponent Bob Anderson leading the pack.  The top four candidates are Republicans.  The bottom four are Independents.  Those in the middle are Democrats.

This, of course, sets the stage for some interesting McHenry Township meetings.

The incumbent Democrat won re-election as Assessor without opposition.

Sandra Salgado

Althoff introduced Senate Bill 666 early in the session, getting it approved about twenty days after the primary election.

McHenry County Republican County Chairman, Sandra Salgado, a member of those who took control four years ago opposed the bill’s passage.

State Rep. Barbara Wheeler, one of Althoff’s two State Representatives, picked up the bill in the Illinois House.

She stumbled in her first attempt to gain passage on Tuesday, but Wednesday, a day later, she squeaked out a two-vote victory.

The vote was 61-45-2 with sixty votes required for passage.


Local State Representatives voting for the bill were

  • Steve Andersson
  • Barb Wheeler

Voting in opposition were

  • David McSweeney
  • Steve Reick
  • Allen Skillicorn

State Rep. Peter Breen spoke against the bill.   He is from DuPage County.

Now, the bill goes to Governor Bruce Rauner.

The Governor had the ability to please local grass roots Republicans or local legislative Republicans in the bill that gave Democrat Jack Franks the power to break ties on the McHenry County Board.

Rauner went with the legislative Republicans.

This is a someone similar fight between the sponsors of the legislation and the McHenry Township GOP organization.


Comments

Barb Wheeler Barely Passes Bill to Cut Power of Precinct Committeemen in Party Caucuses — 11 Comments

  1. This was a bit confusing. Maybe I am misinterpreting something.

    I don’t see how weighted votes and tie breaking procedures are that similar. In regard to the chairman of the board, that’s tie breaking procedure.

    In the US Senate, if there is a tie, the VP breaks the vote. Such procedures are pretty standard in legislative bodies.

    I don’t know of “grassroots opposition” to a tie breaking procedure for any principled reason other than the fact that Franks is a Democrat or “well we haven’t done it like that before.”

    “Grassroots Republicans” don’t care if Mike Pence breaks a vote.

    How much grassroots opposition was there to that rule change anyway?

    Was there a lot of public comment specifically opposed to having a tie breaking procedure?

    How about Sandra’s position on that issue?

    You got her opinion on this caucus issue, what did she think about the tie breaking procedure?

    By the way, what exactly is the rationale that Salgado, Reick, Skillicorn, and McSweeney have for defending a caucus system where one individual gets one vote but another individual gets to vote hundreds of times?

    One of the most salient criticisms of the GOP over the last century has been that they don’t represent interests of regular people.

    Defending this kangaroo caucus system doesn’t seem like a good way to dispel that notion.

    I remember the GOP (rightfully) attacking Democrats for having party bosses pick who their candidates were, but then they defend their precinct committeemen getting hundreds of votes while regular voters get one.

    Strange.

  2. Precinct Committeeman are elected on the ballot by the people.

    A PC’s votes are based upon the number of people they represent.

    Althoff and Wheeler are part of the old guard who are sore losers.

    Hey, sounds just like the sore losing Democrats.

    That could be because the old guard Republicans in this county ARE Democrats who ran as Republicans.

    What’s the matter, Barb Wheeler.

    Did you get crabs in your teenie weenie bikini? (and one of them named Pam Althoff?)

    Get over it “Ladies”

  3. As stated previously: The State Legislature ‘neutered’ the Township Annual Meeting and now they want to ‘neuter’ the position of Committeeman – just like society is steadily ‘neutering’ the American male.

  4. The bill that gave the County Board Chair the right to cast a deciding vote in the event of a tie vote by the County Board was House Bill 6418 (HB 6418), which Governor Bruce Rauner signed as Public Act 99-0924 (PA 99-0924) on January 20, 2017.

    This law has an ambiguous sentence.

    “In counties over 300,000 population and under 3,000,000 population, the chairman shall be elected as chairman without having been first elected to the county board.”

    Shall?

    How about “can” instead of “shall.”

    Could “shall” be interpreted to prevent an elected county board member from being elected to the County Board Chair position?

  5. You are correct, Mark, and the issue of not serving on the board was the reason I voted against the direct election of the chairman.

    However, that is not what Cal mentioned.

    He was talking about tie breaking procedures.

    “The Governor had the ability to please local grass roots Republicans or local legislative Republicans in the bill that gave Democrat Jack Franks the power to break ties on the McHenry County Board.”

  6. Cautious voter’s definition of “neutering” precinct committeemen means not letting them vote hundreds of times while regular voters get to vote once.

    Caucuses themselves disenfranchise people.

    From the 2017 Township Caucus Guide:

    “(60 ILCS 1/45-50)… 1. No caucus shall commence earlier than 6:00p.m.”

    Forget about people who work nights having a say.

    Not to mention they involve a greater time commitment.

    I can get in and out of primary voting in minutes.

    That’s not the case with a caucus.

  7. Good luck getting Precinct Committeemen to work for these two.

    As it is now, no pay, no reimbursement, no glory job and now you disrespect their weighted votes?

    I’d venture to guess that politically, both of you are through.

  8. PA 99-0924 (HB 6418) is the law that allows the McHenry County Board Chair to cast a tie breaking vote.

    Here is part of that law:

    “In counties over 300,000 population and under 3,000,000 population, the chairman shall be elected as chairman without first elected to the county board.

    Such chairman shall not vote on any question except to break a tie vote.”

    ++++++++

    Prior to PA 99-0924, the law stated:

    “In counties over 450,000 population and under 3,000,000 population, the chairman shall be elected as chairman without first elected to the county board.

    Such chairman shall not vote on any question except to break a tie vote.”

    +++++++++++++

    The population of McHenry County is approximately 307,000.

  9. SemperFi, just to clarify…

    you would prefer that voters be excluded from the primary process?

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