Elmer Walter of Grand Ridge and Arratta Znaniecki of Ottawa are two Republicans who’ve been drawn into the same County Board district. They don’t want to run against each other and were two of the four no votes today when members approved the board district map for the next ten years. They’re concerned about Republicans losing seats. The party holds 17 of the board’s 29 positions–a majority by five.
There are four other districts where two board members would have to run against each other, if they all want to remain on the board.
Curtis Faber and Joanne McNally are Republicans in the same new Mendota area district. McNally voted for the new map. Faber didn’t. He thinks the county should have redone the underlying precinct map first. Precinct boundaries divide the county for election management purposes. Consolidating precincts, Faber says, would save election costs.
Faber suggested reducing the county board’s size from 29 to 28 members as another potential cost saver. The board didn’t.
Wedron Republican Craig Emmett and Seneca Democrat Robert Lee are in a new east central LaSalle County district. Emmett voted yes; Lee was absent.
Streator Republicans Thomas Green and Walter Roach are paired. Both voted yes.
In one case, two incumbents put together won’t run against each other unless one changes his mind. Lostant Republican Randy Freeman announced months ago that he’s retiring from the board at the end of the current term. Otherwise, he would potentially challenge rural Tonica Republican Tina Busch. Both voted yes for the map.
The map also creates five districts where there are no incumbents. The seats will likely be filled with newcomers after next November’s election. A former member who lives in a district could also run. And it would be unexpected, but a current member could move to one of those districts and qualify.
A consultant drew the map with a computer program and without using information about where the board members live. County Board Attorney Patrick Herrmann says that helps make the map defensible if someone wants to go to court claiming it was gerrymandered.
LaSalle Democrat Mike Kasap isn’t persuaded though. He voted against the map and says someone can still claim a rigged map.
Candidates will campaign in the new districts in the primaries next summer. After next November’s general election, they’ll take office to begin representing those districts in December. The districts will be in place through 2032. County Board Chairman Don Jensen says an online version of the map could be available as soon as Friday.
To be decided yet is which districts start the decade with abbreviated terms. The board has four-year terms, staggered so only about half the board is up for election every two years except right after redistricting. To make that alternation possible, half the positions must start the decade with two-year terms. The County Clerk usually decides which ones by lottery.
How they voted:
Nay – Faber, Kasap, Znaniecki, Walter
absent – Lee
Aye – all other members
Some of the LaSalle County Board members as they look over the district map proposals.