Two Naperville City Council members are mulling over whether to run against state Rep. James Meyer of Bolingbrook in next year’s Republican primary for a seat in the Illinois House from the 48th District.
Meyer, who now represents the 82nd District, would be in the 48th under a state remap that has yet to be approved by the Illinois Supreme Court.
Kevin Gallaher, 38, said he has not yet decided whether to run. Now in his third term on the City Council, the Naperville attorney said he thinks it is time for a new challenge because the city is reaching the end of its growth cycle of subdivisions and businesses.
Doug Krause, 53, a council member for 12 years, has formed an exploratory committee but also is undecided on a run. He said he is waiting to see whether the Supreme Court changes the new district boundaries.
Maio wants action: DuPage County Board member William Maio of Itasca, head of the board’s powerful Finance Committee and the board’s biggest arm-twister, has announced plans to run for re-election to the board.
The Republican Maio also oversees the Finance and Land Acquisition Committee on the Forest Preserve Commission. He said he is running for the County Board because “that’s where the action is going to be.”
County Board members now serve also as forest preserve commissioners, but members of the two boards will be elected separately next year as a result of state legislation written specifically for DuPage.
“Anyone who knows me knows I’m a guy who wants to go out and do things, not just maintain,” said Maio, the influential floor leader for County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom and a board member since 1984.
Maio will be running in District 1 in northeastern DuPage.
Political notes: DuPage County Board member Michael Formento of Glen Ellyn has officially decided to run for the state representative’s seat being vacated by Vincent Persico (R-Glen Ellyn).
Formento, a Republican, had earlier announced his intentions to run for the Forest Preserve Commission, but he changed his mind after being encouraged by supporters and seeing few others step forward. Persico, who has served in the General Assembly since 1991, has decided not to run again and is expected to become a lobbyist.
In Kane County, Linda Mitchell has announced a bid to run in the GOP primary in March for county clerk. Mitchell, 56, is a former three-term village clerk in North Aurora.
Ecumenical DuPage: A bit of diversity was on the agenda at Tuesday’s meeting of the DuPage County Board.
The invocation was delivered by Inamul Haq, a professor of Islamic studies at Benedictine University in Lisle. That was followed by a proclamation, read by Schillerstrom, celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, and recognizing the first anniversary of a community center built as part of the Swaminarayan Mandir and Cultural Complex in Bartlett.
Catholics also were recognized. Another proclamation celebrated Benet Academy’s back-to-back Class A state soccer championships.