The Kane County Republican Party no longer exists

Though that’s a more figurative than literal declaration, that’s about to change. And it’s about to change because I’m already working with the Kane County Democratic Party (KCDP) to ensure there isn’t a major Republican elected official left standing in Kane County in 2024.

Some folks say I’m pretty good at that kind of thing. Apparently there’s no accounting for taste.

Since a great deal of journalism is timing, I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to issue this full disclosure and that opportunity came in the form of a Kane County Republican chairman candidate Lance Bell interview in the Chronicle.

All I can say is “Yikes!”

I’ll give him credit for being brutally honest, but after reading that piece, the thought of this man running a PTA bake sale is terrifying, much less lead an entity as consequential as a county with an almost half-a-billion-dollar budget. We’ll cover that bizarre interview in greater detail in a follow up column.

So, what’s my specific role? I am the newest KCDP campaign coach specializing in communications, data analysis, and candidate support. Of course, my long-time readers will tell you this is nothing new. It may be a bit more comprehensive than past gigs, but I’ve issued similar caveats when I worked for:

•         Tao Martinez in 2016
•         Sheriff Ron Hain in 2018
•         State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser in 2020
•         County Board member Ron Ford in 2020
•         Tom Hartwell, Dave Rickert, and Terry Hunt in 2020

The sad truth is, regardless of the semantics involved, the KC GOP has ceased to exist as a meaningful entity. It’s been horrifying to watch the MAGA loons co-opt the formerly predominant Kane County Party and reduce it to ashes in record time. It’s not just me, either. That same sentiment is being echoed by a slew of former Party members who worked so hard to make it a respectable institution.

Conversely, the current crop of MAGA misfits needs to be committed to an institution. All the proof you need of that comes in Mr. Bell’s interview.

Under the guise of KC GOP Chairman Andro Lerario, a man who has to learn every lesson the hard way, they’ve mercilessly attacked Republican County Clerk Jack Cunningham on the basis of their “Stop the Steal” lunacy. All Jack does is win elections by large margins and win multi-million-dollar grants to pay for voting machines so the taxpayer doesn’t have to.

The cad! It’s a form of stupidity that has Lincoln doing 360s in his tomb.

Then there’s KC Treasurer Chris Lauzen. He’s never played well with others, but when Republicans were spending hand over fist, he held the county tax line for eight long years. It’s hard to believe this once-dignified politician has bought into the likes of the third grade Three-Headed Eagle Alliance and the even more imbecilic Campton Hills Warriors. Make no mistake, he’s the one who led the attacks on Cunningham, blatantly lied about election law, and fully believes in Trump’s warped vision of his once-great Party.

I’m looking forward to working with his opponent in 2026.

Let’s not forget ultra-conservative GOP county board challengers Fred Gripe and Eric Stare. Gripe appears to be the least objectionable, but he simply hides his Trumpism better than most. Stare, on the other hand, is blatantly anti-gay, anti-immigrant, he doesn’t believe in climate change, and he wants to reduce taxes and go back to paper ballots, a mutually exclusive proposition.

Despite my best efforts to inform them that former Governor Bruce Rauner settled the immigration issue in 2017, they continue to point a finger at the Democrats. Like most MAGA bleeps, Stare’s stilted version of Christianity stops right at “Love thy neighbor.”

This rabid Trumpism has even begun to affect me. Not that it or I matter all that much.

We’ve already discussed how Republican Elgin Township trustee Alex Lopez took one right out of the Trump persecution playbook by accusing an even more conservative constituent of threatening to kill him. Then he did the same thing to me when I objected to his tactics. Just for good measure Lopez also accused me of threatening to murder an Elgin Police detective.

Along those same Township lines, I haven’t addressed my WRMN radio disappearance, but again, who cares?

For the record, the KC GOP MAGA snowflakes, who live to bully anyone who disagrees with them, were so incensed by my accurate assessment of their slim electoral 2024 chances they badgered program director Mark Bialek to the point where he asked me to alter my no sacred cows approach. Of course, I refused. We agreed to have a conversation, but he chickened out.

C’mon! He’s the program director. What was stopping him from providing the reprobates with equal rebuttal time in addition to some in-studio debates? Simple, right? Nope! MAGA folks can’t bear the thought of being challenged at any level.

So sorry Ken Bruderle. Between trustees Lopez and Bialek, those Republican township elected officials need to go. We’re not talking about going back to the days of Supervisor Franklin Ramirez’ rank corruption, but it’s time for a change. Considering how my journalistic efforts sent Ramirez and his minions packing, you’d think the Republican trustees would show a little more gratitude.

There’s only so much a journalist can do, but  an active anti-MAGA campaign manager can have a far greater effect. 

To be fair, just as I’ve stipulated before, as long as I’m toiling for the KC Dems please take whatever I write in the electoral regard with a grain of salt. I don’t think I’m biased, but that’s up to you to decide. In my defense, I inserted a clause in my contract that allows me to cover any serious Kane County Democratic malfeasance.

I gotta be me.

The best part of all of this is I get to work with KC Democratic Chairman, Mark Guethle, whom Chris Lauzen holds in the highest regard. Mark’s herding cats capacities makes him the best county chairman I’ve ever encountered anywhere.

So, no! This deleteriously encroaching local MAGA influence cannot be tolerated. Despite their flaws, the Kane County Democrats are a far better option than Trumpism, and I’m going to do my best to see that they succeed.

We need elected officials with a brain and a heart, not folks who blissfully follow a dangerous demagogue.