Kane County Board member Lee Barrett (R-East Dundee) said he expects to withdraw his nominating petitions for re-election to the county post in favor of making a state Senate bid. Barrett had filed petitions for both.
Barrett is part of a historically large number of sitting officials looking to step up to a state post in 2006.
County Recorder Sandy Wegman of Elgin is one of five Republicans seeking the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor.
First-term County Board members Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) and Hollie Kissane (D-Carpentersville) have filed petitions to run for seats in the Illinois General Assembly, Holmes for the state Senate and Kissane for the House.
Holmes is unopposed in her Democratic primary. Greg Schock of Elgin is the lone challenger to Kissane for the right to challenge state Rep. Ruth Munson (R-Elgin) for a House seat next November.
Both Kissane and Holmes were elected last year to four-year County Board terms.
The 67-year-old Barrett’s current board term is set to expire next year. He was first elected to the board in 1998 and re-elected in 2002 after making unsuccessful bids for township, county and school board posts in 1997, 1992 and 1991, respectively.
He said he plans to withdraw by Dec. 27 from the GOP primary for County Board District 21, in northeastern Kane. He is one of four Republicans who have filed petitions to be on the ballot in the County Board race.
Barrett said the dearth of interest in the effort to succeed outgoing state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin) in the northwest suburban 22nd Legislative District is what prompted him to run for the state post.
Rauschenberger is one of five Republicans, along with Wegman, seeking the lieutenant governor nomination.
Wegman was re-elected as county recorder in 2004.
An electrical engineer, Barrett has long advocated protecting the Fox River and took a high-profile role in opposing the county’s plan for a northern river crossing in what is called the Bolz Road corridor.
He said he plans to withdraw from the county race on the understanding that it would be incompatible with a run for the state Senate. He said he risks forfeiting his eligibility to run for either post if he does not select just one to run for by next Tuesday.
“I have until the 27th to pull out of one of those,” said Barrett.
“I’m pretty committed to the Senate seat. Kane County doesn’t have anybody else running [for it]. There just didn’t seem to be an interest in that job. I couldn’t believe that,” said Barrett.
Republican Billie Diane Roth of Streamwood also is seeking the state Senate nomination.
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The three Republicans looking to succeed Barrett on the County Board are John P. Fahy of West Dundee and Frank D. Johnson and Kenneth E. Andresen II, both of Dundee Township.
Barrett said he is backing Johnson’s bid for the nomination and plans to withdraw his bid for re-election to the County Board “so long as Johnson stays committed [to run].”
“He knows I have to do this by Tuesday,” said Barrett.
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