Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Time for All Good Men and Women to Come to the Aid of Their Party; Only 10 1/2% of Precincts Covered by Democrats, 41% by Republicans
In Marengo Township only one person has filed for GOP precinct committeeman. Marengo 1, 3 & 4 are empty.
Only the first of Coral Township’s three precincts has a candidate. In Dunham and Alden Townships no one has filed. Hartland Township precinct 2 and Greenwood Township’s 1, 2, 3 & 5 still have no candidates.
In Chemung Township, only county GOP chairman Bill LeFew and Bill Dooley have filed in precincts 1 & 5.
In the larger townships, the percentage with candidates is unimpressive.
In Grafton Township, probably the county’s fastest growing, candidates are missing in precincts 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21 & 22.
In Dorr Township, vacancies exist in Dorr 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 13 & 14.
In Nunda Township, no one is running in precincts 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 & 29.
In McHenry Township, vacancies exist in the following precincts: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 28 & 31.
There are only two contests so far. One is between County Board member John Hammerand and Tony Scimeca, both of Wonder Lake, and the other is in Seneca Township precinct 1 between Jason Bennet and Mary McCann. McCann is a candidate for county board in District 6.
At least in the Republican Party, party leaders are only interested in enough of their supporters running so they can get re-elected. This year the party, which historically has mailed out petitions to all incumbent precinct committeemen, “neglected” to send at least three conservative Republican precinct committeemen a petition.
Precinct vacancies in both parties can be filled by appointees. The party chairman can accept the recommendations of local township organizations, but he certainly does not have to.
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