Given the eminently depressing voter turnout and some of the even more depressing results, writing this column is the last thing I want to do today, but when your demanding public insists on this Herculean mental effort, it’s bleepin’ easier to just git-r-done than it is to have to listen to everyone bitch.
Although, the fact that I’m in a bitchy mood will probably make this column a lot more interesting. So, once again, I’m only gonna cover the races that held some particular personal interest. In no particular order:
Aurora
What do you expect when you have two lightweight candidates take on even a seriously damaged incumbent? That’s right! Neither challenger can muster as much as 25 percent of the vote. I tried to tell Judd Lofchie and John Laesch that they needed to figure out a way to work together, but who listens to me?
The only thing that made this contest mildly interesting was someone “got wind” of a poll putting Laesch way ahead of the other two. Not only did this dire prospect prompt former KC Chairman Chris Lauzen to endorse Mayor Irvin (Yikes!), but an Aurora “citizens group” put a full page add in the Beacon-News decrying Laesch’s D131 School Board tenure.
But after seeing the lopsided final result, all I can say is, someone really needs to demand their polling money back!
Meanwhile, Mayor Irvin will continue to treat the City of Aurora like his private playground until every last City employee is one of his former girlfriends. Oh! And a 13 percent turnout? Great Job Aurora!
Batavia
Which is where you want to live if you enjoy seeing mediocrity rewarded.
Running unopposed one more time, Jeff Schielke, the second worst mayor I’ve ever covered, won what seems to be his 394th term. This man has never held a real job in his life and his mayoral legacy includes a lifeless downtown, developer Kent Shodeen screwing the City at every turn, and inciting the highest electric bills of any Illinois municipality.
And a sub seven percent turnout in spite of a slew of aldermanic races? Batavians are about to get everything they deserve.
Geneva
Where Kevin Burns is the only reason Jeff Schielke is just the second worst mayor I’ve ever covered.
The only reason challenger Tom Simonian did better than his typical 37 percent of the vote is our narcissistic mayor can barely hold it together anymore. Burns has even managed to aggravate the Chamber of Commerce. But because Simonian couldn’t run a political campaign if you spotted him 45 percent, this one was over before the first vote was cast.
Dennis Cook’s Strive Strategies, a group that’s lost more campaigns than the Italian Army, didn’t even bother to show up! One mailer? Yeah! That’ll do it! Simonian would’ve been far better off throwing his money out of a third story State Street window.
The only silver lining in this debacle is that 28 percent of Genevans actually got their butts off the couch to vote! It ain’t all bad in my hometown.
St. Charles
Though I personally like her, thank God Maureen Lewis lost the mayoral race. The last thing St. Charles needs is more of that family, and perhaps Maureen and Phil will finally realize they’re not the Kennedys and their political time has come and gone.
A 16 percent turnout doesn’t completely suck, but it ain’t nuthin’ to make the folks write home about, either.
Elburn
I really didn’t pay too terribly much attention to this one, but I thought it worth noting that their below abysmal 3.28 percent turnout will likely become the stuff of legend. Though, truth be told, Montgomery managed to beat that horrific number with just 2.9 percent of voters making it to the polls
It gives an entirely new meaning to the word “suck!”
Sugar Grove
In what has to be the biggest upset of the day, long-time Mayor Sean Michels was trounced by village trustee Jennifer Konen, who walked away with a surprising 61 percent of the vote. It would seem that even thought the Crown Development project was pronounced DOA back in 2019, the mere association was enough to end Michel’s political career.
Elgin
Where hope goes to die!
Alright! Alright! That may have been a bit overly dramatic, particularly when you consider how the Republicans swept every last Township office. And while I’d like to take a little more credit for that than I probably should, the truth is, Township Supervisor Franklin Ramirez and his cronies didn’t lift a campaign finger because they’d convinced themselves that Elgin had become forever Democratic, and those jobs were now theirs by divine right.
I’ve personally encouraged new Township Supervisor Ken Bruderle to have the books audited ASAP because I truly believe criminal charges will be forthcoming.
Ah! But the Elgin City Council is another thing entirely. Though it doesn’t take much thought to understand how it’s beyond difficult to create real change when just 10.1 percent of voters show up.
And Dustin Good? The guy is a complete joke which he will soon prove to the public beyond any and all reasonable doubt. But Donald Trump proved that jokes can get elected, and truth be told, that kind of lightweight mien will fit right into the rest of that city council’s progressive clown posse.
Like Batavia, the people of Elgin are about to get exactly what they deserve!
School Boards
While it was certainly gratifying to see every last one of the Waubonsee and Elgin Community College union-backed trustee candidates lose, it was somewhat surprising to see so many local school district board members retain their seats.
My fervent belief was the pointless and protracted COVID school shutdowns would’ve sent some of the worst board members packing, but again, when nobody shows up at the pools, nothing changes.
This election was beyond disappointing on so many levels.
