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Logan County Republicans hosted a
large crowd of supporters and even a few opponents on Thursday,
October 22nd night at the Oasis. Chili and an assortment of pies
were served for dinner as several candidates discussed their
positions.
Logan County Republican Chair and
Logan County Board candidate Cindy Gleason kicked off the event and
thanked Clinton Pollack for help building their new website; Bill
Hauter and Sally Turner for help opening the Logan County Republican
Headquarters; and Mary Miller’s team for help planning the evening’s
event.
She went on to introduce the party and county officials who were in
attendance. Several Republican precinct committee members were
present, and she asked them to stand for recognition. Next, she
introduced the county’s elected officials in attendance: Kathy
Schmidt, Andrea Hinton, Lance Conahan, Kevin Knauer, and Jim
Wessbecher. City of Lincoln officials included Mayor Tracy Welch,
City Clerk Peggy Bateman, City Treasurer Chuck Conzo, Alderman Kevin
Bateman, and City Attorney John Hoblit.
Gleason then introduced a few of the Republican candidates who were
seeking election on November 3. Ryan Coughlin, running for Logan
County Board District 4, was present, along with his opponent, Faith
Berger, and several members of Logan County Indivisible.
Mary Conrady is seeking election for District 1, and Gleason herself
is seeking the seat for District 3, while Kevin Knauer is seeking
reelection for District 3, John Fink in District 2, Andrea Hinton in
District 5, and Lance Conahan in District 6. Republican County Clerk
Candidate Kate Wright attended, and Josh Pharis, candidate for
Sheriff, arrived later in the evening. Then, Gleason introduced
State Representative Bill Hauter.
Hauter gave a brief message to
voters saying that the opponents have the four M’s: media, money,
the machine, and maps. In his message to the crowd, he encouraged
guests to motivate others to go vote on Election Day because he
wants to see Illinois succeed. After he concluded his message, he
introduced State Senator Sally Turner.
Turner thanked Hauter for his
partnership in the State House and said that they represent the same
things: faith, family, and freedom. Turner will also be on the
ballot on November 3 and said she would “appreciate your vote”.
Then, she brought out Congresswoman Mary Miller.
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Miller spoke about her family
background; she has been married for 46 years and says she and her
husband “raise corn, cattle, and kids.” They have seven children, 24
grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. In her message, she said
she is motivated to protect the American dream in hopes that future
generations can enjoy freedom and opportunity. She warned Democrats
again about open-border policies, energy policies, and tax policies.
She asked those in the crowd to engage with as many people as
possible, no matter where they are, and encouraged them to vote.
Then Miller turned the stage over to Lieutenant Governor Candidate,
Aaron Del Mar.
Del Mar gave a lighthearted but
motivational message to the audience. He shared some of his
background, including the start of his police career at age 29, when
he became the Village of Palatine’s youngest Councilman. He noted
that he and his counterpart, Darren Bailey, come from very different
backgrounds. Del Mar’s experience is primarily in urban settings in
Northern Illinois, while Bailey’s background is more rural-centric
in Southern Illinois.
Del Mar said he has witnessed Bailey’s strength through his family’s
heartbreaking loss (the loss of his son, daughter-in-law and two
grandchildren in a helicopter crash in October 2025) and believes he
would bring that strength to Springfield. He believes their proposed
policies would positively impact Lincoln and Logan County through
keeping the prison open and lowering property taxes. He told the
crowd of his connection to Charlie Kirk and Kirk’s early years on
the political scene in Northern Illinois. He ended by asking the
crowd to take the time it takes to grab a cup of coffee and go out
and vote. After the messages concluded, the crowd continued to chat
and take pictures with the candidates.
Republican party encourages citizens "Get out the Vote" slideshow
[Joli Boerma Crane]
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