The First Ward’s endorsements – 2022

Since early voting has commenced, it’s time to present The First Ward’s traditional bi-annual endorsement column. So, here goes:

1. Candidates you should vote for:

Sheriff – Ron Hain

Through a combination of innovative programs that keep non-violent offenders out of jail, an on-site jail addiction recovery pod, and a propensity to go easy on the taxpayers’ wallet in the process, Ron has clearly earned another term. He’s one of the few candidates who told me what he was going to do and then he did it.

Meanwhile, his opponent is a lunatic pro-Trumper who’s made the kind of questionable decisions that mean he shouldn’t be serving as a deputy, much less sheriff.

State Rep 65 – Dan Ugaste

Like his counterpart Keith Wheeler, Dan has proven to be a sane, fiscally conservative Republican who works with the Democratics to get things done. And by “sane” I mean he doesn’t believe in insurrections, stolen elections, or political demagoguery. Dan’s my state rep and I look forward to reelecting him.

His opponent is running on the basis that there should be more Democrats in Springfield and she couldn’t even get her nominating paperwork right.

State Rep 83 – Keith Wheeler

I’ve regularly written about Keith’s capacity to stay above the Springfield fray and work to benefit the Illinois taxpayer. He’s been so effective that I’ve personally encouraged him to run for governor on a number of occasions.

Meanwhile, his opponent is the kind of tax and spend union Democrat who will march in lockstep with the general assembly supermajority to press their overly woke agenda like the Safe-T act which does not bode well for our state. This candidate also glossed over a sexual harassment scandal right here in Kane County because it didn’t concern him.

County Clerk – Jack Cunningham

Despite Jack’s and my frequent differences, he gets the job done. I’m also voting for Jack because of the plurality of Kane County Republican who insist on attacking him with patently false election accusations. Having worked in that office for two years I can personally attest that KC elections are always above board.

Kane County Board 6 – Ron Ford

You don’t hear much about Ron because he quietly gets the job done. He’s another one of those rare politicians who’s proven that he can work with anyone on the board and Ron’s an even rarer Democrat who believes in watching the fiscal bottom line.

Kane County Board 11 – Brian Jones

I don’t know much about Brian, but I do know he’s a light years better choice than Democratic opponent Leslie Juby, who sent property taxes skyrocketing as a Geneva school board member. Juby also failed to reign in the superintendent and his bullying minions, she failed to call out the former board president’s attacks on parents, and she fully supported remote learning and all of the other COVID mitigations which have virtually destroyed a generation of children. So, now she wants to have an even greater political impact? I don’t think so!

Kane County Board 22 – Jeff Meyer

When you have a choice between Vern “why are we so afraid to raise taxes” Teppe and a fiscal conservative with a stellar public service track record like Jeff Meyer, the decision is obvious. The county board Democrats have been spending COVID money hand over fist, but those funds will soon dry up and we can’t afford to have Vern Teppe raising taxes at every turn. Jeff Meyer will provide the kind of balance this county board desperately needs.

Supreme Court 2nd District – Elizabeth Rochford

Not only has her Republican opponent, Mark Curran, never practiced law, but his draconian views on abortion could set Illinois women back 100 years. I’ve generally had my fill of Democratic Illinois judges, but this is one case where the alternative is so much worse. Mark Curran is just another Republican opportunist who wants to parlay the name recognition from his failed U.S. senate run into a fat $250,000 a year paycheck. Let’s send him right back to the private sector.

2. Candidates you should vote against:

Not J. B. Pritzker

Considering his capacity to stick both feet in his mouth, I’m still unsure if I’ll be voting for Republican contender Darren Bailey, but I will NOT vote for a Governor who’s pointless COVID mitigations did more to destroy the state, and particularly a generation of children, than they did to stop the disease. I am through with nanny-staters, and Pritzker, with his BS noblesse oblige arrogance, is the worst of the lot.

Not Kwame Raoul

See J. B. Pritzker above. I was all set to vote for Tom Devore, but his childish social media posts combined with his capacity to sue his mother-in-law for criticizing him clearly indicate he’s not nearly attorney general material.

Congress District 11 – Not Catalina Lauf

Lauf portrays herself a Trump true believer candidate, but then she has no idea what that really means. One Republican operative told me, “She shows up at every gun show with her hair, makeup, and nails professionally done wearing a shirt that’s three sizes too small.” So much for subtlety, right? Call me crazy, but I prefer candidates who’s IQs are larger than their bra sizes and Lauf didn’t know what the ERA was at a Batavia debate. I’m not a member of the Bill Foster fan club but at least he can do math.

Senate District 25 – Not Karina Villa

I’ve said it before, Karina Villa believes she’s far smarter than she really is, she’s an arrogant bully, and her only priority is herself. It certainly ain’t the Illinois taxpayer. She’s also a card-carrying member of the general assembly’s woke crowd and she needs to go. I don’t know much about challenger Heather Brown, but unless she’s committed a murder, she couldn’t possibly be worse than Karina Villa

Treasurer – Not Chris Lauzen

This one will come as a surprise to many of you because I’ve supported the former state senator and Kane County chairman for years. But his insistence on pursing pointless feuds that only serve to weaken the local Republican Party has become too much. The final straw was his needless attacks on the Republican county clerk for perceived election day issues that were easily explained. He also wants to use the Treasurer’s office as a platform to call out county Democrats which will make things worse and not better. A good treasurer quietly gets the job done. Perhaps I’ll write in “Dave Rickert.”

Kane County Board 2 – Not Bob McQuillan

Thankfully, Bob McQuillan doesn’t have a shot in hell, because if he did finally manage to get elected, he’s shown absolutely no capacity to follow procedure or behave in public. Put more simply, going back to his TaxFACTS days, he’s the kind of bully we really don’t need on the county board. I’m leery of tacitly supporting a Democrat, but McQuillan would only serve to unite the Dems and make it exponentially more difficult for the conservatives to rein in county spending.

Kane County Board 14 – Not Mark Davoust

All Mark Davoust does is sit silently at the dais, collect his 25 grand a year and Cadillac benefits package, and demand the best committee chairmanships simply for showing up. Again, I don’t know much about his opponent Tom Hodge, but just about anyone would be better than Mark Davoust who considers marrying into money to be his foremost skill.

Appellate Court 2nd District – Not Susan Clancy Boles

If you recall – and I’m sure you do – Ms. Boles is the judge who waited ‘til her neighbor went on vacation, butchered her trees without permission breaking three statutes in the process, and she still refuses to make good on her misdeed. This is NOT the kind of person we want sitting on the bench ANYWHERE.

3. Kane County judicial retentions

Just in case she doesn’t make it to the appellate court, judge Boles is up for retention right here in little old Kane County. But if you wouldn’t want her as a neighbor, then you certainly don’t want her sitting on the bench. Please vote NOT to retain her.

The only other 16th Circuit judge who’s up for retention is Kevin Busch, a man who clearly believes the black dress entitles him to behave however he pleases in court. And judges who heap abuse on plaintiffs and defendants just because they can need to go.

4. Constitutional amendments

Vote NO on the oxymoron called “The Workers’ Rights Act.” It’s just an end-run attempt to circumvent the supreme court ruling that barred public unions from forcing employees to join their ranks.

There was a time when unions were a good thing, but the Illinois variety have become beyond corrupt and they already wield a disproportionate amount of power as evidenced by the state’s precarious pension system.

Thankfully, this measure will require a 60 percent “yes” rate to pass which will won’t happen.

That’s it! I certainly hope I wasn’t being too subtle here. If I didn’t cover your race it’s likely because it’s a foregone conclusion or I don’t know enough about it to weigh in.