Wojnicki faces two challengers in GOP primary
By ASHLEY RHODEBECK
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arhodebeck@kcchronicle.com
ST. CHARLES — At least two Republicans and one Democrat will attempt to unseat Barbara Wojnicki from her Kane County Board seat in next year's election.
The Republican incumbent Wojnicki, of Campton Township, will face Albert Lenkaitis Jr., a Campton Hills trustee, and Susan Secondi, an opponent of the incorporation of Campton Hills whose subdivision was successfully disconnected, in the Feb. 2, 2010, primary.
Kay Catlin, development director for the Fox River Chapter of the American Red Cross, was the only Democratic candidate for District 15 as of 4 p.m. Monday, the first day candidates could file their petitions for nomination.
Candidates have until Nov. 2 to file the paperwork.
The general election is the same date next year.
District 9, which covers parts of Batavia and North Aurora, could have a contested race with Democrat Christopher Faber and incumbent Republican James Mitchell Jr. both filing a petition for nomination.
Republican Philip Lewis has yet to be challenged for his District 13 seat, which primarily represents St. Charles.
In the sheriff's race, L. Robert Russell of South Elgin, a corporal in the DuPage County Sheriff's Office, and Donald E. Kramer of Geneva, a lieutenant in the Kane County Sheriff's Office, will challenge incumbent Pat Perez, who had not filed as of 4 p.m. Monday, but announced on Friday that he intended to run for re-election.
Petitions can be viewed at the county clerk's Web site – www.kanecountyelections.org – beginning today, County Clerk John Cunningham said. Citizens may challenge the documents until five days after the Nov. 2 due date. Reasons for a challenge could include unnumbered pages, invalid signatures, residency of the candidate and the absence of an economic interest statement.
"You're dealing with a pretty complex body of law here," Cunningham said.
Once challenged, the county clerk has 24 hours to set a date to hear the objection, he said. The Election Commission hearing officers — the county clerk, county circuit clerk and state's attorney — would then rule on the concerns.
Challenges are common and instigated by citizens — not Cunningham's office.
"It's not our responsibility to go and monitor and check every ballot to make sure it's right," he said.
Candidates filing as independents have until June to submit their paperwork, Cunningham said.
Regular voter registration ends Jan. 5, 2010. The grace registration period will run from Jan. 6 to Jan. 19; for this, citizens must register and vote in the county clerk's office, 719 S. Batavia Ave., Building B, Geneva.
List of filed candidates, as of 4 p.m. Monday
Candidates filed:
• Clerk — John A. "Jack" Cunningham (R-Aurora)
• Sheriff — Donald E. Kramer (R-Geneva), L. Robert Russell (R-South Elgin)
• ESR Superintendent — Douglas E. Johnson (R-Geneva)
• County Board 3 — Jennifer Laesch (D-Aurora), Juan Reyna (D-Aurora)
• County Board 5 — Bill Wyatt (R-Aurora), Melisa Taylor (R-Sugar Grove)
• County Board 7 — Lorena Cundari (D-Aurora), Gerald A. Jones (D-Aurora)
• County Board 9 — James C. Mitchell Jr. (R-North Aurora), Christopher Faber (D-North Aurora)
• County Board 13 — Philip H. Lewis (R-St. Charles)
• County Board 15 — Barbara Wojnicki (R-Campton Township), Susan Secondi (R-St. Charles), Albert J. Lenkaitis Jr. (R-Campton Hills), Kay Catlin (D-St. Charles)
• County Board 17 — Deborah Allan (D-Elgin)
• County Board 19 — Stan Hickrod (R-Sleepy Hollow), Nathan Akemann (R-Elgin), Catherine Schick Hurlbut (R-Elgin)
• County Board 21 — Lee Barrett (R-Dundee), John P. Fahy (R-West Dundee)
• County Board 23 — Margaret "Maggie" Auger (R-Algonquin)
• County Board 25 — Thomas Smith (R-Maple Park), Bob Kudlicki (R-Hampshire)
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