It’s been awhile since we’ve done a multi-topic column so let’s get right to it!
McMahon may not run
Just as Mr. Spock referred to military secrets as “the most fleeting of all” when fleecing the Romulans of their cloaking device in ‘The Enterprise Incident,’ the same can be said of political revelations. It always pays to take them with a grain of salt.
So, when a series of sources told me that former Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner wasn’t running, it’s not that they were wrong, it’s that, after someone as morally questionable as former State Senator Karen McConnaughay finally turned down his request to pinch hit, he had no choice but to face the electoral music himself.
With that caveat in mind, I’ve been hearing that, primarily as a result of First Assistant Jody Gleason’s moving on to a Kendall/DeKalb County judgeship, Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon might not run in 2020.
You see, Gleason was one of his few competent chief staffers, and with her gone, Joe might actually have to start showing up to work. And that kind of radical act would put a massive crimp in his quest for fame, glory and running triathlons.
Word is Misdemeanor Division head Joe Cullen will get that First Assistant spot which, considering he’s universally loathed by prosecutors and support staff alike, won’t make that rock bottom office morale situation any better.
To a lesser degree, McMahon has absolutely no interest in running a truly contested campaign because he’s never had to. He was appointed state’s attorney by then County Chairman Karen McConnaughay, and he’s never had to face a primary or general election opponent since.
But former Kane County prosecutor Jamie Mosser just announced her run for that gig, and from what I can see, she looks like a quality candidate. All signs point to 2020 being the year of the woman, so McMahon would have to pull out all the stops to beat her.
That means my source and I are starting to think he’ll try to capitalize on his successful Cook County Jason Van Dyke prosecution and catch on with a major downtown law firm. And that means head felony prosecutor Bill Engerman will throw his hat in the ring.
Considering the number of skeletons in his closet, I am fervently praying to the journalism gods that that will be the case. Talk about manna from heaven!
Why be incompetent at one job when you can be incompetent at two?
So, current Kane County Board member and 83rd District Illinois State Rep, Barbara Hernandez, a politician who’s never had an original thought, is going to keep both jobs? Why am I not surprised?
To be fair, she will no longer be accepting the 25 grand a year and Cadillac benefits package those-part time county board members receive, but not even Elgin State Senator Cristina Castro tried to pull off that possibility.
For background purposes, Ms. Hernandez is a Linda Chapa LaVia protégé who was appointed to the state rep gig after Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker tabbed Chapa LaVia as the Director of the Illinois Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
The irony there is, former Kane County Board member and legend in his own mind, Brian Pollock, a man who’s responsible for more campaign losses than the Italian Army, thought he was gonna be anointed as her successor.
But Chapa LaVia’s tragic flaw is her vast insecurities which mean she’ll turn on a friend in a heartbeat, and she’d never put someone in that state rep seat she couldn’t completely control. Hernandez’ claim to fame is simply taking up space while smirking at her colleagues.
In response to her recent vast County Board absences, that body is about to approve a non-binding conduct policy specifically targeting Ms. Hernandez who’s only managed to make it to 38 percent of board and committee meetings since getting the state rep gig.
Hernandez told the Daily Herald that May was “a bit hectic” and she said that “The people elected me, and I want to continue representing them…,” which is an outright lie. The real reason Hernandez won’t step down is she wants to prevent Chairman Chris Lauzen from appointing a replacement who would be more sympathetic to his causes.
You see, the Aurora Dems – a group who puts the “fun” in dysfunctional – are still seething at Lazuen for defeating former Aurora County Board member Don Ishmael in 2018. I tried to tell Chris it’s bad practice for any chairman to unseat any board member, but they all do it anyway. So, now their twofold goal is to win a Democratic board majority, which would stymie the Chairman’s agenda, and then defeat him.
But the Aurora Dems can’t even get themselves re-elected, much less defeat a man who will be chairman as long as he want’s to be chairman.
So, here’s my original thought! Since you clearly can’t shame Hernandez or the Aurora Democrats into doing the right thing, all those concerned board members really have to do is insert one of those carpool lane dummies equipped with a long brown wig into her board seat.
Trust me! No one will be able to tell the difference.
I do not understand how a person could be both a state rep and a county board member. There has to arise a conflict of interest between state and county over certain issues. Perhaps state wants to do highway expansion county doesn’t want. Would she recuse herself from board and as a rep? Thus doing nothing for any of her constituents in either district yet still get paid by state. Would she favor who is currently paying her? Do board and legislators take an ethics test or conflict test or does it matter because they do what they want or are told to do anyway?
Jim,
Since one gig doesn’t directly affect the other, it can be done. That doesn’t make it right, but it’s not illegal.
But Ms. Hernandez will likely find she will have a State Rep opponent back by me next year!
Jeff
Why are you saying “All signs point to 2020 being the year of the woman”? Besides Democrat Jamie Mosser, what other women candidates for 2020 are you referring? Sue Rezin’s entrance into the 14th congressional district Republican primary, joining Jim Oberweis, Danny Malouf, Ted Gradel, James Marter, and very soon Allen Skillicorn? Could it be Evelyn Sanguinetti and possibly Jeanne Ives challenging for the 6th congressional district?
Do you think one of the women running for president is going to be the nominee to challenge President Trump? Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and possibly Amy Klobuchar are the only realistic female presidential nominee possibilities.
What is the women lineup for 2020 next year that you see?
And your reference about the Democrats taking control of the county board next year, you know as well as I do that at least 3 of the 12 Democrats are more loyal to Chairman Lauzen then the Democratic party. I do not see a Lake County Democratic takeover of 2018 taking place in Kane in 2020. Real Democrats would have to flip 4 seats to overcome Lauzen, not likely to happen, and Lauzen will control the county board redistricting in 2021.
Dear Former,
When I said “year of the woman” I was referring to elections all across the country. And I’m pretty much talking about Democratic women as well. Put more simply, Mosser has a real shot against a damaged incumbent.
Thus, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if a woman wins the Democratic nomination. I do believe Bernie and Joe will lead the pack out of the gate, but with that many candidates in the mix, anything can happen.
And, Former, in regards to the possibility of a Democratic Kane County Board, you are getting into the kind of nuance that can creates 1,200 word columns.
Yes! I know that Ms’s. Wegman, Thomas, and Lewis tend to vote the Chairman’s way and that’s made Thomas and Lewis Aurora Democratic targets.
The bottom line is, I’m not saying the Aurora Dems will flip the board, I’m saying that’s their current goal.
Jeff
Didn’t see Ms. Allen, the Republican-turned-Democrat mentioned in your list of county board members, and I think you’ll agree she is one to be with Chairman Lauzen (unless their professional relationship has changed recently). And you are right, that’s too much inside baseball.
How come when people use the “year of the woman” moniker it is only used for Democrats. There have been multiple Republican women serving in high profile roles across the country. As for the Democratic POTUS race, we’re passed the starting gate, and Bernie has slipped from “frontrunner” status to the 2nd tier, with Warren who has been siphoning support away from Bernie for the past month.
Comparing the Democrats’ running for president is almost like watching a replay of the Chicago mayoral election, where frontrunners dominated until Lori Lightfoot moved up, and the only Democrat who has been doing a Lightfoot is Pete Buttigieg (the fact Lightfoot and Buttigieg are both openly gay is purely coincidental).
The first debates are later this month, and 2nd quarter fundraising will be reported after the end of the month, so we’ll see the field narrow fairly soon.
Dear F,
I did forget Ms. Allen who, much like Ms. Wegman really is a Republican.
And I use “year of the woman” with Democrats only because Republicans still have a major issue with their female counterparts as indicated by the recent draconian abortion bills which will never pass the Supreme Court laugh test.
Regarding the bizarrely huge Democratic presidential field, I’ve written on that insanity at length.
Jeff