DeKalb County candidates begin filing to get on ballot for 2022 election

SYCAMORE – Maureen Little of Kirkland braved sleet and snow to be the first person in line at the DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder’s Office – at 5 a.m. Monday morning – to file her candidacy for this year’s election.

Little is running as a Republican for District 1 of the DeKalb County Board.

“I’ve always been interested in helping the community, and I like representing the people of my district,” Little said.

Karen Cribben of Somonauk, who is running as a Republican for District 11 of the DeKalb County Board, was second in line behind Little.

“I live in Somonauk, an agricultural district,” Cribben said. “It’s important for me to run for re-election because I believe agriculture needs to be represented on the county board.”

Monday marked the beginning of the filing period for candidates hoping to get on the ballot ahead of the June primary election. Candidates have until 5 p.m. on March 14 to file their petitions. They must file in person at the DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

State or federal positions, such as governor and legislative roles, must be filed in Springfield. The Illinois primary is June 28 and the election is Nov. 8.

About 20 candidates lined up outside the DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder’s office, 110 E. Sycamore Street in Sycamore, before the office opened at 8:30 a.m. The names of candidates are placed on the voting ballot in the order their paperwork was submitted. If two candidates are in the line at 8:30 a.m., a random lottery chooses the name placement on ballots. Candidates often prefer being either the first or last name listed on the ballot.

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Candidates wait in line March 7, 2022, in the DeKalb County Administration Building in Sycamore, to file their petitions to get their names on the ballot for the November 2022 midterm election. Monday was the first day candidates could file. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan filed papers to run officially for the role, after he was appointed as the county’s top cop in August following the retirement of longtime sheriff Roger Scott. Sullivan served as chief deputy for years before the move.

“This is my 26th year working for the sheriff’s office,” Sullivan said. “I want to continue to build a positive relationship with the community and a safe environment for all. We’re also working to be more active on social media to connect more with the community.”

Not every candidate filing was up for re-election. Some, like Benjamin Haier of Cortland running as a Democrat for county board District 5, are hoping to hold office for the first time. Savannah Ilenikhena of Cortland, filed to run as a Republican for the same district, also for District 5.

Others showed up to run for leadership roles in the local Republican and Democratic parties: Stewart Ogilvie of Cortland filed to represent District 4 on the county board. Ogilvie and Cortland Mayor Mark Pietrowski Jr., also filed for precinct positions in the DeKalb County Democratic party.

Write-in candidates must file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate with the DeKalb County Elections office no later than 61 days before the election.

DeKalb County residents can register to vote online, in person at the county clerk’s office, or in person at certain polling locations on the day of an election. Voters also have the option to mail in their ballot. Vote by mail applications are available online or in person at the county clerk’s office.

Election judges for upcoming elections are also needed. Applications can be found online or in person at the county clerk’s office.

Due to districts being redrawn after the 2020 Census, all 24 DeKalb County Board members’ seats and all precinct committeepersons’ seats for local political parties are up for election. Other local positions up for election include DeKalb County’s clerk and recorder, sheriff, treasurer, regional superintendent of schools and circuit judges.

Six state executive offices are up for election in Illinois in 2022: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, Secretary of State, treasurer and comptroller.

Illinois voters also will elect four Illinois State Supreme Court justices, 15 Illinois intermediate appellate court judges and one member of the U.S. Senate. All 59 members of the Illinois State Senate, all 118 members of the Illinois State House of Representatives and all 17 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election. DeKalb County makes up portions of U.S. Congressional Districts 14 and 16, Illinois State House of Representative Districts 70 and 90 and Illinois State Senate Districts 35 and 45.

State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, filed in Springfield to run for reelection in the newly redrawn 70th District, which will now represent portions of DeKalb, Kane and McHenry Counties. The district won’t cover DeKalb city anymore, however, but will include Sycamore and northeastern portions of the county.

“The conversations I had with voters in neighborhoods throughout the 70th District echoed a message loud and clear: families and taxpayers are thankful for the work I’ve done but they are sick and tired of corruption in state government,” Keicher said in a Monday statement. “The families I’ve spoken to share my commitment to voting this November for candidates who support our police, support property tax relief, support restoring checks and balances to state government and support parents.”

DeKalb County Clerk Doug Johnson said Monday’s turnout was good, though he expects more candidates to file their intent to run for office over the next two weeks.

“Seeing more participation and more people wanting to get involved in local government is always a great thing,” Johnson, a Republican who is not running for reelection, said. “It’s good to see people running on a ballot instead of griping on social media. I always say if you don’t vote or run for office, you can’t complain later on.”

Johnson said he believes local elections are more important to everyday life in DeKalb County than federal ones.

“People can walk into your office locally, unlike legislators’ [offices], which are located in Springfield,” Johnson said. “You can see the people on the ballot living, working, going to church and the grocery store right here in DeKalb County. They’re your neighbors.”

Democrat Amanda Christensen filed to run for reelection as regional superintendent of schools, a position she’s held since 2012.

“My role is to be the intermediary between the Illinois State Board of Education and local school districts and provide local services to students in response to community needs,” Christensen said. “I’m running for re-election because there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done. There are several initiatives in the midst, and I still love what I do.”

Becky Springer is running to be elected as DeKalb County Treasurer after she was appointed into the position in January 2021.

“This is my first time running for office, and I hope to continue my public service,” Springer said. “I love serving the community. The treasurer is the steward for all who live in the county, and what people might not know is that office is investing money to relieve [the financial] burden to taxpayers.”

The DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder’s race looks like it will be contested, with Democrat Linh Nguyen facing off against Republican Tasha Sims.

An immigrant from Vietnam who lives in DeKalb, Nguyen holds a doctorate in computational science. She said her past work as president of League of Women Voters of DeKalb County will aid her in the role. She said her goal is to show voters the importance of participating in democracy.

“We are so fortunate to have a democracy in America, where our votes count and matter,” Nguyen said. “A lot of voters do not completely know how local government works, how they can use their vote to shape local government and public policy that affects their daily lives. Democracy is not something we can take for granted. We can lose everything if we don’t actively participate and step up.”

Born and raised in the county, Sims has years of government work under her belt, as she’s worked in DeKalb County government offices for more than 14 years, currently as an executive assistant in the administration office.

“It’s important to show that as a government official, we are public servants,” Sims said. “The government does more than collect taxes. It provides various services throughout the county. The county clerk and recorder issues birth, marriage and death certificates and conducts fair, secure and accessible elections.”