The Lake Forest Caucus will hold a special meeting on Oct. 20 after voters did not endorse two school district candidates recommended by the caucus committee at its Oct. 6 annual meeting.
Caucus committee-recommended Lake Forest School District 67 School Board candidate Kristin Vallaly received 652 “No” votes against 471 “Yes” votes and recommended Lake Forest Community High School District 115 School Board candidate Jennifer Neubauer received 696 “No” votes while getting 430 “Yes” votes.
The annual meeting is open to all registered voters in Lake Forest. All the other committee-recommended candidates were overwhelmingly endorsed by the 1,126 voters at the annual meeting, including:
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Ara Goshgarian, for Lake Forest mayor, 975 yes, 128 no.
Pete Clemens, for Ward 1 alderman, 989 yes, 53 no.
John Powers, for Ward 2 alderman, 990 yes, 45 no.
Nick Bothfeld, for Ward 3 alderman, 991 yes, 49 no.
Richard Walther, for Ward 4 alderman, 990 yes, 44 no.
Jay Connelly, for District 67 school board, 1,021 yes, 63 no.
Mark Pickett, for District 67 school board, 1,002 yes, 69 no.
Monica Yaun, for District 67 school board, 880 yes, 202 no.
Kirsten Kohlmeyer, for District 115 school board, 987 yes, 103 no.
John Noble, for District 115 school board, 1,008 yes, 84 no.
Historically, candidates who receive the caucus endorsement can expect to run unopposed in the general election.
Several emails opposed Vallaly and Neubauer’s candidacy for the school boards, including one from former state Sen. Susan Garrett.
“Whether we are Republicans or Democrats shouldn’t matter,” wrote Garrett, who held office as a Lake County Democrat. “Our schools are a cornerstone of our community and we owe it to our students, residents, and taxpayers to seek qualified, level-headed, nonpartisan board members who will put students first.”
Garrett’s email included copies of other residents’ messages that expressed concern over alleged “extremist” views expressed by Vallaly and Neubauer which have since been deleted from social media.
The caucus responded with an email of its own headlined “We Pick People, Not Politics.”
“We ask about budgets, about how a candidate handles disagreement, and about why they want the job,” the caucus email states. “We do not ask how a candidate votes in November.”
It also notes that, when candidates are interviewed, “party politics stay outside the room.”
“What we weigh is experience, knowledge of the issues, and a commitment to putting the community’s best interest ahead of personal views,” the caucus email adds.
Caucus President Scott Nehls defended that position.
“We’re not picking sides here — we’re picking great people,” Nehls says. “There is not a litmus test — we have people on the left, people on the right, and people in the middle.”
Nehls made a similar statement when it was noted that a woman has never served as Lake Forest mayor.
“We’re not picking gender, we’re picking people — it’s insulting to the candidate to be reduced to gender,” he says. “We’re picking the best people for the job.”
The caucus has been part of Lake Forest elections for 90 years, and Nehls said its role is to interview candidates, make recommendations, and then support the endorsed candidates.
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“We’re all neighbors,” he says. “We’re not just political creatures.”
Multiple candidates are not listed on the annual meeting ballot — only those recommended by the committee and voters then choose “yes” or “no” on whether to endorse them.
“For over 90 years, the Lake Forest Caucus has vetted and recommended exceptional candidates for the elected and appointed positions that have made our city what it is today,” a caucus email notes. “We are not changing that mission.”
Andis Robeznieks is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.