Suburban Democratic Party chairs to pick Aurora-area Illinois Senate nominee behind closed doors

A small group of Democratic Party leaders in the suburbs of Aurora, Illinois, will choose who appears on the November ballot for a state Senate seat. They are stepping in because the current senator, Linda Holmes, announced she is retiring due to health problems caused by multiple sclerosis. Because her announcement came after the March primary election, regular voters will not get to pick the nominee. Instead, just four county party chairs will make the decision, mostly away from the public eye.

State Sen. Linda Holmes has had multiple sclerosis, often called MS, for more than 35 years. MS is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord and can make everyday tasks harder over time. Holmes said that while she was lucky to have few symptoms for many years, it is now time to slow down and focus on her health. She was a key leader in the Illinois Senate and helped pass the state's new medical aid-in-dying law, which was one of the most debated laws in Illinois in recent years. Her retirement will become official at the end of her current term in January.

Because Holmes did not announce her retirement before the March primary, a special process is being used to fill her spot on the ballot. The vote to pick a replacement is split among the party chairs of four counties: Kane, Kendall, DuPage, and Will. Kane County Democratic Chair Mark Guethle holds more than 40% of the total vote all by himself, giving him a very large amount of power in the decision. Guethle said he has no favorite candidate and hopes the chairs can agree on someone together. "It's our least favorite thing to do," he said. "We all like primaries; we don't like to appoint."

Several people have already said they want to be considered for the seat. Democratic state Rep. Matt Hanson, who already represents part of the same district, confirmed he applied. Saba Haider, a DuPage County Board member who is already on the November ballot for a nearby state representative seat, is also widely expected to be a top candidate. Jared Ploger, a longtime teacher and former school board member who lost to Haider in the March primary, said he also put his name in. Lauren Duddles, who has run for local office in St. Charles before, said she applied too and called herself a "die-hard Democrat" who wants to listen to what people in the community need.

Ploger leads a local branch of the American Federation of Teachers, a union that represents teachers and school workers, and was endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union during the primary. He said he trusts the party chairs to find the right person for the job. "I know what I bring to the table," Ploger said. "If they think that's a good fit, I'll go to work. If they don't, I'm gonna support (whoever) they decide." His calm reaction shows that even those who want the seat understand the process may not go their way.

State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, who lost a race for state comptroller earlier this year, said she will not seek the Senate seat. She recently started a new job as executive director of a labor-management organization and said she did not want to hold two big roles at the same time. Nearby state Sen. Karina Villa of West Chicago said she thinks voters in the district want someone "bold and progressive." She urged the chairs to hold an open process and pick someone who truly represents the community.

Whoever the chairs pick will face Republican Edgardo "Eddie" Perez in the November election. Perez is an Air Force veteran, a former law enforcement officer, and the founder of a martial arts school in Aurora. The selection process could take a few weeks, but Guethle said he does not want to take too long. "We want the campaign to continue," he said. "You can contemplate it to death." DuPage Democratic Chair Reid McCollum compared the process to choosing a new pope, saying it may not involve white smoke, but the chairs will work together to find their pick.