Democrats hope for ‘good year' in Winnebago County
Winnebago County Democrats are gearing up for an electoral offensive next year - a push they hope will leave them in control of several more local offices.
By Monday, the last day for candidates to file nominating petitions to enter the Feb. 5 primary election, Democrats had candidates in four judicial races, several races for the Winnebago County Board, the race for county clerk and two state representative races.
"There is the potential nationwide that it's going to be another good year for the Democrats," said Winnebago County Democratic Chairman Greg Tuite, a Rockford attorney who filed to run against Rep. Ron Wait, R-Belvidere.
In last year's elections, a nationwide pro-Democrat wave put the party in control of both chambers of Congress. Hoping to build on that momentum, Barrington Hills Democrat Robert Abboud is challenging U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan.
In another race for the Legislature, Democrat Clint Little of Loves Park is challenging Rep. Dave Winters, R-Shirland. Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford; Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica; and Sen. Brad Burzynski, R-Clare, are running unopposed.
In the 45th Senate District where Sen. Todd Sieben, R-Geneseo, is retiring, Republicans Tim Bivins of Dixon and John Blum of Freeport, as well as Democrat Marty Mulcahey, filed to run.
Meanwhile, the Green Party is running two candidates for local office: Scott Summers of Harvard is challenging Manzullo, and Gerry Woods of Machesney Park is challenging Winters.
"Democrats may not have full slates against everybody, but we're going to be in as many races as possible," said Doug Aurand, veteran Democratic activist, Harlem Township supervisor and a member of the Winnebago County Board. If any ballot is without a Democrat, party leaders vow to slate candidates to those slots after the Feb. 5 primary.
Democrats plan an aggressive campaign to capture the Winnebago County Board, now controlled by Republicans, who have 16 of the 28 seats.
As for the judicial races, two are circuitwide, meaning candidates run in the entire 17th Judicial Circuit spanning Winnebago and Boone counties. Two races are in judicial subcircuits, whose creation was spearheaded by House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat and state party chairman, to put more Democrats on the bench.
One of those subcircuits leans Democratic. It takes in southwest and northwest Rockford and portions of Loves Park. Democratic candidate Gwyn Gulley has a good chance of winning there against Republican Mary Linn Green. In the other subcircuit, appointed Circuit Judge Paul Logli, a Republican, will face a challenge from Democrat Lisa Fabiano.
Aurand conceded that Logli, a Republican who was state's attorney for 21 years before resigning to accept the judicial appointment, will be hard to beat.
Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, pooh-poohed the Democratic Party's optimism that it will dominate races for local office next year.
"People in the Rockford area are pretty independent in their voting, which has been shown historically," said Syverson. "So from that standpoint, what's going on in Springfield or Washington really doesn't bear as much as the individual candidates themselves."
Staff writer Aaron Chambers may be reached at 217-782-2959 or achambers@rrstar.com. Reach Political Editor Chuck Sweeny at 815-987-1372 or csweeny@rrstar.com.
Candidate list
Here's a rundown of candidates who filed nominating petitions to enter the Feb. 5 primary election:
Illinois Senate - 35th
Sen. Brad Burzynski, R-Clare
Illinois Senate - 45th
Tim Bivins, R-Dixon
John Blum, R-Freeport
Marty Mulcahey, D-Galena
Illinois House - 67th
Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford
Illinois House - 89th
Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica
Illinois House - 68th
Rep. Dave Winters, R-Shirland
Clint Little, D-Loves Park
Gerry Woods, Green Party-Machesney Park
Illinois House - 69th
Rep. Ron Wait, R-Belvidere
Greg Tuite, D-Rockford
17th Circuit-Gill Vacancy
Ronald White, R-Rockford
Judge Fernando Engelsma, D-Loves Park
17th Circuit-Kapala Vacancy
Marilyn Hite Ross, D-Rockford
Rene Hernandez, D-Belvidere
Eugene Doherty, R-Rockford
17th Circuit-1st Subcircuit
Gwyn Gulley, D-Rockford
Mary Linn Green, R-Rockford
17th Circuit - 2nd Subcircuit
Lisa Fabiano, D-Rockford
Judge Paul Logli, R-Rockford
U.S. House - Illinois 16th
Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan
Robert Abboud, D-Barrington Hills
Scott Summers, Green Party-Harvard