Last Minute County Candidate Filings

Among the numerous candidate filings this week, I'd been keeping up fairly well on the election page and the county office races page. But I have two more to add tonight. From the News-Gazette:

Two surprises in last day of candidate filings for March primary

— Six more people — four of them Democrats — made official their candidacy for Champaign County seats. They include Democrat Darlene Kloeppel of Urbana for county executive, Champaign Democrat George Danos for county auditor and former Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing for county treasurer.

Diane Michaels of Rantoul became a Republican candidate for county auditor and Greg Worrell of Thomasboro became a GOP contender for sheriff, joining Allen Jones of Rantoul.

Pranjal Vachaspati, a Democrat, filed to run as a candidate in County Board District 9, where Incumbent Democrat Shana Jo Crews is not running for re-election.

Former Champaign County office holders were also running elsewhere in the state, for those keeping tabs:

— Tio Hardiman of Calumet City, a Democratic candidate for governor, along with his lieutenant governor running mate, Patricia Avery of Champaign. Avery is a former chair of the Champaign County Board.

...

— Champaign Democrat Mike Frerichs, seeking a second term as state treasurer. A Republican candidate, Jim Dodge of Orland Park, also brought his petitions to the State Board of Elections.

For those just becoming active in politics, or more active than general presidential elections, these past few months have been the time when races really begin and are shaped for the upcoming year. It's not too late to get involved and influence the choices (down to which choices survive to be on the general ballot). But when all your friends were saying they're sick of politics, now is not the time? This is exactly when people miss out on a lot of democracy. With regular citizens collecting ballot petitions all over town and fund raising numbers starting to show the viability (or lack thereof) of candidates ability to raise money and compete.