Kane GOP announces 2024 lineup

ST. CHARLES – Mark Rice, a Republican candidate for the Illinois 8th Congressional District in the Nov. 5 general election, promised to abolish the U.S. Department of Education if elected.

“We are the sleeping majority,” Rice said to a packed room of Republicans at a news conference Jan. 3 at GOP headquarters in St. Charles. “I’ve been asleep. Sometimes we get the worst possible leadership when responsible people sort of don’t pay attention.”

Incumbent State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, for the 65th District, promised to work to make Illinois a “pro-growth state again both for business and for people.”

Newcomers Rice, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Andrew Sosnowski, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Jamie Mosser for Kane County State’s Attorney, also spoke, as did incumbent Coroner Rob Russell.

Kane County GOP Chairman Andro Lerario introduced several Republican candidates who attended the gathering and named all who will be on the ballot in November.

“It’s important that you guys are here tonight for our candidates,” Lerario said. “We are starting to build things up again as Republicans. … People are excited in our party again. We are rebuilding teams – teams of friends and relationships.”

Rice, who is married with four children, described himself as “a true conservative.”

“I think we are under attack. Our county, Chicago, our state – even our country – is under attack,” Rice said. “We are the sleeping majority. I’ve been asleep.”

Rice, of Chicago, said his wife and children are going to run his business as he will make his campaign his full-time job.

“The Democrats have the unions. We don’t have that. The Democrats have more money … because they have a habit of winning and they can pay people. … So they have armies of folks,” Rice said. “I’m here to recruit you.”

‘Opportunity deserts’

Ugaste decried Republicans in the General Assembly being in a super minority compared with the Democrats’ super majority.

“We don’t have a statewide office,” Ugaste said of the GOP in Illinois.

Ugaste criticized a vote that provided grant opportunities for grocery stores to locate in what were called food deserts in parts of the state.

“I call them opportunity deserts,” Ugaste said. “They exist throughout all of Illinois from neighborhoods within Chicago all the way down south to Cairo, Illinois. … We should never have to have a grant anywhere within this state to incentivize a grocery store to locate in order to succeed.”

Ugaste said various bills proposed by Illinois Republicans would address this issue, but they fail to be heard in committee or on the House floor because the Democratic super majority will not call them.

“We are Illinois. We are what people call the heart of the Heartland,” Ugaste said. “We are the 2,000-pound gorilla in the Midwest. … These are problems we can fix. This is what I’m working for.”

‘Last of the first responders’

When Russell was first elected coroner 12 years ago, he said the office “was a shambles.”

The employees were good people doing good work, but the previous office holder was under indictment for theft, said Russell, of Hampshire.

The late former coroner Charles West, a Republican, died in 2012 while criminal charges were pending against him.

“We were a laughingstock. ... We’ve gone from laughingstock to preferred stock,” Russell said. “I had to rebuild a lot of relationships between police departments and funeral homes. … I’m the last of the first responders.”

The other issue was the inadequate condition of the coroner’s office.

“We finally got into our new building. I had to fight for it and I’ll do it any day of the week, especially for the people who work with me and for me,” Russell said. “We have a better place to take our loved ones who pass on to the next world to a place of respect and we can treat them with respect in a building that treats them with respect.”

Russell said his office is working on creating a regional lab that would get results more quickly than waiting anywhere from two to six weeks.

Russell said his office is receiving a $3.1 million federal grant to help with establishing a regional lab.

“I think it will help Kane County move forward,” Russell said.

‘Bring back a red State’s Attorney’

A former prosecutor and current criminal defense attorney and adjunct criminal law professor, Sosnowski, of Elgin, said his students at Aurora University and Elgin Community College encouraged him to run for Kane County State’s Attorney.

“The young people are the future of our country and our county. Young people need to be engaged,” Sosnowski said. “That’s what I hope to accomplish in the State’s Attorney’s office. ... We can have a movement to bring back a red State’s Attorney.”

An attorney for 35 years, Sosnowski served as a prosecutor in Kane, as well as Jo Davies, McHenry and Ogle counties, but most of his career has been as a criminal defense lawyer, which he credited with making him “a very good prosecutor. "

“You need a chief prosecutor ... that’s going to stand up and not be afraid and not cower to the Democratic party,” Sosnowski said. “I’m not saying Democrats are bad. There’s lots of good Democrats. … But what we need to do is bring leadership and not be controlled by Springfield or by Chicago.”

Sosnowski recounted how County Board member Myrna Molina, D-Aurora, challenged Mosser when she asked for more money for her office.

The budget for Mosser’s office was $5.7 million in 2020 but $10.16 million in 2023, Molina had said to Mosser, Sosnowski said.

The meeting to which Sosnowski referred was the Feb. 24, 2023, Labor Management Committee. According to the packet, Mosser asked for more funds because lawyers on her staff were leaving for higher salaries in comparable positions.

Sosnowski said he read about it in the paper and had to do more research.

“But this is the kind of over requesting money and overspending and a lot of it is for pet projects, not to actually prosecute criminal behavior or to keep our community safe,” Sosnowski said. “But the primary motive for me is prosecution.”