Ex-Kane County Board chairman Lauzen sets private GOP strategy session at Geneva pizza eatery

GENEVA – Former Kane County Board chairman Chris Lauzen is hosting a private “invitation only” political meeting at Aurelio’s Pizza in Geneva on Thursday for Republican candidates who won primary elections last month, and their spouses, according to a letter he sent them.

Its stated purpose is to win back “at least a working majority on the Kane County Board on Nov. 8,” according to the letter dated July 5, obtained by the Kane County Chronicle. Lauzen’s letter also states that it’s the Coalition of Winning (Walk, Work, Win).

“I hope to serve you as merely a facilitator, these are your individual campaigns,” Lauzen, a Republican, wrote in the letter. “Our neighbors have given me so much opportunity to serve them that I just feel grateful and satisfied with results that were generated, especially during the 8 years at Kane County when I served you as Chairman (and Administrator).”

Lauzen is currently the GOP nominee for Kane County treasurer, and is facing Democrat Jeffrey Pripusich for the post in the Nov. 8 General Election.

The letter Lauzen sent out lists tentative discussion items, including, “What will a Republican majority commit to accomplish?” and “Specifically, what can I and will I bring to this effort?”

Requests for comment sent to Lauzen’s campaign email address about his letter and some of the reactions to it were not answered. The former chairman has told a Kane County reporter not to call him, and that he will only accept contact by email.

Hoping to find commonalities

Batavia resident Robert McQuillan, who ran unopposed for the GOP Kane County Board nomination in the 2nd District, said he is attending the gathering.

“I’m going to meet the Republican candidates,” McQuillan stated in a text. “I hope we have commonalities among the group, but I do not plan to run as a slate.”

County Board member Bill Lenert, R-Sugar Grove, said as to Lauzen’s plan to have a Republican majority on the board, he had no comment.

“I don’t have a position on it,” Lenert said. “That’s what Chris wants to do. I’m not really involved in that. I talk to him occasionally, but I really don’t have a comment on it, to be honest.”

‘The letter is deliberately exclusionary’

County Board member Kenneth Shepro, R-Wayne, who did not win his primary, said he thought it was odd that he wasn’t invited to discuss how a Republican majority on the County Board could be achieved. Shepro is the chairman of the Kane County Republican Party.

Shepro said Republican Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham and Coroner Rob Russell were not invited, a notion he said he thought also was odd. Cunningham won his primary, while Russell has won past primaries and election contests, Shepro noted.

“The letter is deliberately exclusionary, even of the rest of the party ticket – and it seems odd that someone who is genuinely concerned about the success of the Republican Party would exclude so many people from the invitation list,” Shepro said. “I would say that it is pretty anomalous to me to have a strategy session that excludes all party leaders.”

Shepro criticized several past efforts against the elections of Cunningham and Russell and said such maneuvers “have failed miserably.”

Lauzen donated $10,000 to Geneva attorney Douglas Warlick, who ran against Cunningham for the GOP nomination for County Clerk. Cunningham got 16,996 votes to Warlick’s 11,558 on June 28, a difference of 5,438 votes.

“That he happens to win (with his backed candidates) here, there is hardly evidence that he is a political genius,” Shepro said of Lauzen.

For his part, Cunningham said he was not feeling left out that he was not invited to the strategy session.

“Everyone has the right to follow his own agenda,” Cunningham said. “And I don’t need a free meal.”

Kane County Recorder Sandy Wegman said she was not invited to Lauzen’s political meeting, and didn’t know about it until a reporter called.

“I was the only Republican who survived the 2020 election. Others were sent packing,” Wegman said. “I’m not sure that’s so bad (that I was not invited). That may be a list I don’t want to be on.”

All Board Member Michael Kenyon, R-South Elgin would say is, “I’m looking forward to free pizza at Aurelio’s, which has got to be some of the finest pizza around.”

‘Politics is always local’

Attorney Jeffrey Meyer, an Elgin resident who won his primary unopposed for the 22nd District, is also vice chairman of the Kane County Republican Party.

As to the possibility of achieving a Republican majority on the Kane County Board, Meyer said locally, Republicans stand out as a party that opposes tax and fee increases.

“I think, especially with inflation and tight household budgets, people are sensitive to tax increases and fees,” Meyer said. “Certainly, a number of Democrats have advocated increasing taxes and fees that Republicans have opposed and still offer services and balanced budgets.”

Regardless of national or state politics, “first and foremost, politics is always local,” Meyer said.

“The local party – particularly Republicans on the County Board and open-minded independents and Democrats – (have) a proven track record of fiscal responsibility. That has and will continue to resonate with voters,” Meyer said. “That is how I think we win a majority on the board.”

But as to Lauzen’s Thursday night gathering, Meyer would not comment.

“That is a private meeting,” Meyer said. “I have no comment beyond that.”

Mark Guethle, chairman of the Kane County Democrats, said his party has better candidates and it was not likely that Republicans would gain control of the County Board.

“In all cases, from my perspective, our candidates are better, more versed and more experienced than their incumbents,” Guethle said. “We are the majority party in Kane County. We had the most votes in the last two election cycles. And we look to add to our list of County Board members — to maintain what we have and pick up some races.”