For those of you who haven’t voted early, Election Day – Tuesday, November 4 – has arrived in full glory. An absolutely perfect Indian summer day is predicted for Kendall County with temperatures in the low 70’s, and a huge anticipated voter turnout may challenge the largest percentage presidential election turnout of 64 percent, set in 1908.
Setting the stage for Election Day, the Kendall County Farm Bureau hosted a candidates’ forum last Thursday evening at the historic courthouse in Yorkville that was broadcast live on Plano radio station WSPY, 107.1 FM. County Board candidates from District 1 and 2, and the contested Clerk and Recorder race between Debbie Gillette and Patricia Feeley expressed their opinions on a variety of local subjects in one last hurrah before the polls open in earnest.
The candidates felt comfortable with each other to joke among themselves, but were serious when it came to issues involving landfills, the Prairie Parkway, communication with municipal jurisdictions, and how the national economy has affected incomplete housing projects.
The candidates present from District 1 were Republicans John Shaw, Robert H.D. Davidson and Suzanne Petrella. Democratic candidates are Jim Birch, Paul Keller and John Crawford. Green candidate Adrian Frost did not participate.
In District 2, Republicans Jeff Wehrli and Robert Wyngard discussed their views with Democrats Elizabeth Flowers and James Feeley.
In the only contested County Office race, Clerk and Recorder, Republican Debbie Gillette and Democrat Patricia Feeley answered questions posed by one member of the Farm Bureau and one employee of WSPY. The two-member panel also read questions supplied by an audience of nearly 100, who filled the courthouse’s third floor meeting room
Voters in Kendall County will also be asked to weigh in on a “conceal and carry” firearms referendum. All of the 10 County Board candidates were in favor of the referendum. Jeff Wehrli said that Illinois and Wisconsin are the only two states who don’t have such a law on the books and said, “Let the voters decide.” Other candidates spoke of their support of the referendum by saying they were licensed to operate a firearm and still others were active members of the National Rifle Association.
The two county clerk candidates discussed what they consider the position’s major challenges. Feeley said updating the clerk’s Web site to meet resident’s needs regarding online capabilities would be a big undertaking, while Gillette said that getting to know the specific routines of the county staff would be critical to success.
In addition to these races, Kendall County residents will vote for the President, the United States Senate race between Dick Durbin, Steve Sauerberg, Kathy Cummings, Larry Stafford and Chad Koppie; and the 14th Congressional race between Bill Foster and Jim Oberweis. Oberweis is challenging Foster for the permanent two-year seat. In March, a special election was help in which Foster beat out Oberweis to complete the remaining term of Dennis Hastert. Foster’s temporary position expires in January 2009.
Kendall County residents will also have the opportunity to choose between Terri Ann Wintermute and Linda Holmes for the 42nd State Senate District. For the Illinois House, Kendall voters will send either Kay Hatcher, Mary Schneider or Sandra Lezon to Springfield from the 50th State Representative District, and the choice is between Tom Cross and Dennis Grosskopf in the 84th State Representative District.
