Looks as if Orville Brettman will have competition for the Chairmanship of the McHenry CountyuRepublican Central Committee.
His opposition will be County Board member Jeff Thorsen.
Below is Thorsen’s biography and what he would like to do as GOP Chairman:
- I am a lifelong Crystal Lake resident
- CLCHS class of 1976
- MCC class of 1980
- NIU B.S. Finance with minor in Philosophy 1987
- MBA NIU Finance 1993
- 30 years in McHenry County banking industry
- Crystal Lake City Council 1999-2015
- 2015-Present McHenry County Board Member
- Vice Chair of the McHenry County Board 2016-2018
- Current Chair of the County Law, Government, Liquor and Legislative Committee
- Current Vice Chair of the Valley High Operating Board
- Current Chair of the McHenry County Salvation Army Advisory Board
- Current First Vice President and Treasurer Horizons for the Blind
- Past President Crystal Lake Lions 2001/2002 and 2013/2014
- A Lifetime of community leadership and service
I have a demonstrated a history of property tax consciousness and holding the line on levy increases.
I am an originalist when it comes to the Constitution and The Bill of Rights.
I have been involved with the McHenry County Republican Party For over 30 years.
I am retired.
I have goals that I would work toward during this next term:
- I will keep my finger on the pulse of the Party through direct communication with the precinct
committeemen, the candidates, and the Republican elected officials. This alone is a fulltime
endeavor and requires a unique ability to work with all factions. I will hit the ground running as I
haven’t burned any bridges with any subgroup within the Party - I will work with each of the township central committees to recruit and appoint the very many
Precinct Committeeman vacancies. To this end, I will attend all township central committee
meetings that I can. - I will lead the Central Committee in the development of an established outreach initiative with
focus on education and recruitment
So Chairman Tyler Wilke definitely not running for a 2nd term as McHenry County Republican Party Chairman?
Brettman will have a field day on Jefd Thorsen’s Richard Irvin endorsement in the governor’s race.
I liked Thorsen, until I saw he was a pervin’ Irvin flunkie!
Yes, the gluttonous Wilke must go. But Thorsen has to explain his idiocy!
What Thorsen doesn’t tell you is that he doesn’t do his job now as a precinct committeeman.
He’s only made 3 meetings of the Grafton Central Committee in two years.
Now he wants to run the Party ???
Jeff Thorsen is a nice guy.
However, he is too tight with the Establishment and does stupid stuff like support Irvin – IMO to be a “company man”. I’m sure Tryon, Althoff, Gottemoller etc all are part of his social club.
We need outsiders…not insider types. I’m sure guys like Blazier and Ruth and Strom all support Thorsen.
That’s the insider stuff the new Republican party is just sick of. Help your friends, attack those who challenge city hall/County government.
Wizard of id, An interesting observation about attending Grafton Township Republican meetings.
But how does Thorsen’s precinct do on general election day, or how do his endorsed Republican candidates fare on primary election day?
Also, who did he back in IL-11 and sheriff’s primary?
Irwin lied when he said Thorsen had endorsed him.
Thorsen denied that publicly, John.
While I don’t know how that happened, didn’t a similar mistake occur in Kane County with Cliff Surges (or maybe it was someone else) being listed on Irvin’s site and then denying it?
I would assume Richard Irvin to be a liar before assuming Jeff Thorsen is a liar.
I don’t recall Tyler Wilke announcing he would run again although he would be eligible to do so since he is running for PC and is unopposed.
Cal,
Thorsen’s name is still on the list of endorsements for Irvin-Bourne.
Why did Jeff Thorsen not have his name removed from that list months ago?
If Irvin-Bourne threatened him somehow, as Patrick Pfingsten reported was taking place across the state to secure endorsements for Irvin-Bourne, per The Illinoize earlier this year, then Thorsen capitulating to Irvin’s people is a show of weakness.
Before any precinct committeeperson commits to support Thorsen for McHenry County Republican Chairman, Thorsen needs to give a full accounting for why his name is still on the Irvin-Bourne endorsements list on Primary Election Day.
Brettman will have a field day with many other things where Jeff Thorsen has proved he cannot compete!
When Jeff was asked why he’s running as Party Chairman.
His answer: “I’m worried I’m not gonna win my County Board race”
Yet he thinks he can win a race to run the county Republican Party?
Or John, he needs to answer why Irvin didn’t remove his name. For which he can’t answer, and Irvin won’t bother to do.
John, Thorsen needs to account for a lot more than that.
I consider that Irvins lie, but Thorsen inability to take care of it.
What about answering for things Like:
Why he doesn’t even have signs out for his own campaign race right now?
Why he doesn’t even have a campaign account? Why is he broke?
Why he thinks he should run the Party when he can barely run his own little campaign?
Why he voted with Democrats to fly the Gay Flag on Govt. property?
Why he felt the need to kiss Paula Yensen’s butt at county board meetings? Gross
Why he doesn’t attend his own township GOP meetings and fundraisers?
Why he’s absent at Republican events and fundraisers?
Why if he’s unfit to run for chairman of his GOP township, he feels he should run the whole County Party?
Who are the establishment hacks that put him up to run to keep the status quo?
This sounds like a Wilke/Evertsen backroom deal.
They’ve only filled 40% precincts.
Where I come from, that’s a Failing Grade.
Brettman will burn Thorsen so bad, he’ll lose his County Board race! (even if he actually puts some effort into it, which he’s incapable of doing)
Nice credentials and ideas for future.
BUT, if he did or does support Irvin, then that shows a lack of good judgement.
The worst thing that happened to the McHenry County Republican party was the overthrow by the tea party and the band of wackos.
They push the normal people who are actually doing things out of the party and we’re left with a bunch of wackos.
Wilkie has the potential to be a good chairman but in order for a chair to succeed he’s got to have people that are willing to be lead and work.
Hasn’t been a lot of that around the party in a long time.
Mostly people want to run their lips and do nothing and then cry when they lose.
Bretman and the current band of wackos backing the restaurant owner for County sheriff, who’s backed by heavy union dollars shows they’re nothing but glass-eyed syncopants.
He told me he attended a fundraiser for Shannon Teresi and the Irvin folks falsely assumed that meant he support Irwin.
Apparently you are not from Crystal Lake.
I see signs around town for Thorsen, but none for Reinert.
Why should Thorsen be held accountable for Irwin’s lying ways?
I voted for his opponent…..
I only know Jeff Thorse by what I’ve read of his accomplishments and service to the community which seem to be substantial.
An individual does not hold that many service positions without actually putting forth the effort and doing the job.
To lambast him because Irvin has allegedly falsely claimed to have received his endorsement is ludicrous!
It seems Irvin has taken a page from our own Jackoff Frank’s playbook who listed, I think, in true Democratic style, the names of deceased individuals on his literature as either currently endorsing him or serving on his campaign committees.
Franks is a deceitful jerk as is Irvin.
I agree. I’m supporting Thorsen.
My request to Thorsen would be: dump the Establishment – they are vile, conniving, failed, losers who are in it to simply receive the political corruption scraps that their democrat overlords feed them to keep them obedient to the political system running this state. As a result, the state is a failed enterprise – living in Illinois is like living behind the iron curtain.
Illinois sucks because of the democrats and the establishment republicans who are the abused victims who are slaves to their overlords.
End this, Mr. Thorsen. Bob Blazier types shouldn’t have power or influence.
He’s precisely the kind of person who is responsible for our failed status – yet he profits from our failed state.
The Irvin thing was a lie by Irvin.
But Thorsen should’ve been able to remove his name like when Syverson was also on the Irvin supporter list and made sure that was corrected.
How about a Republican Party that adheres to their own platform and actually gets people energized into joining.
You can’t keep the Party a private club and expect it to grow.
I know Jeff Thorsen.
Jeff Thorsen is a friend of mine.
Orville, you’re no Jeff Thorsen.
O my lord. I hope someone else step up for the Republican party. Mike Shorten should run than
Big Orange, I think that was a compliment. (To Brettman)
Brettman is everywhere and no pansy.
I think that’s what’s got the establishment worried. LOL