It looks like Chris Lauzen, a former chairman of the Kane County Board, is back holding a countywide office, this time Kane County treasurer.
According to unofficial totals, Lauzen, a Republican, earned 51.1% of the votes cast in Tuesday’s election for county treasurer, as compared to 46.5% for Democrat Jeffrey Pripusich. There are still some mail-in votes to be counted.
Lauzen spoke the day after the election and said he “wanted to wish my opponent the best.”
“I also want to thank my wife for all the organization and work,” Lauzen said, who also thanked all those who worked for his campaign.
“I’ve already started the process to improve the accuracy of the budget forecast by asking the board to increase the interest income projection,” he said.
“This is a commitment to people to get a job done and that was the primary difference with our campaign and the alternative,” he said. “I’m looking forward to rolling up the sleeves and getting to work. I’ll be there as early as I can be on Dec. 1.”
Lauzen also said given the nature of his position there will be an exact measuring stick that can be used to judge results.
“I think this is a great opportunity and what’s different about this race is that it has to do with finances. It’s not opinions being argued. It’s actually facts. You’ll be able to judge whether I kept my promise,” he said.
Pripusich said there were a lot of takeaways from his experience as a first-time candidate.
“I’m at peace with what I shared with other media sites,” Pripusich said. “Stepping into the world of politics and running a race for Kane County treasurer was almost otherworldly for me.”
On his Facebook page, Pripusich posted comments about the race, noting he “fell short by 7,200 votes out of 155,000 that were cast.”
“For a major underdog with a last name that is long and hard to pronounce, I’m proud to have poured my heart and soul into trying to win this race and to have made it close,” he wrote.
In a phone conversation the day after the election, Pripusich said this would be his only attempt at politics.
“I can tell you with 100% certainty that I can’t envision running (again),” Pripusich said. “First of all, I have no plans of running for a different office. I’m 62 years old and I would really like to retire in six years so to start over again in four years – that’s just not in my plans. I don’t have any plans to run for office again.”
Pripusich talked about the friendships he made throughout the campaign as well as “the eye-opening process involved within county government and politics” that he learned in the past couple of months.
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“I’m just a county taxpayer who goes about my business and sits in my own little world and then to see, first hand, attending these meetings and how the board works and collaborates together, it was truly eye-opening and I gained a special appreciation for what’s involved,” he said.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.