2-17-2024 3:02pm

Candidate meet and greet scheduled at Roscoe Community Center on Feb. 28

Michael McGinnis Editor

Rockton-Roscoe News is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Greater Rockford (LWVGR) to hold a candidate meet and greet at Roscoe Township Community Center on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 6 p.m. The goal is to provide nonpartisan voter information for the March 19 primary.

Confirmed attendees at the Roscoe event:

Jennifer Muraski, Coroner
John Guevara, County Board District 3, Roscoe
Ray Thompson, County Board District 3, Roscoe
Erik Jacobs, 17th Judicial Court 1st Sub Circuit Judge
Steve Stadelman, State Senate District 34 (possibly)
Dave Vella, State Representative District 68

Senior correspondent Jean Seegers will be covering the event for Rockton-Roscoe News.

Reporter Maria Gardner Lara from WNIJ/Northern Public Radio will be inviting voters to share what issues are most important to them in the upcoming elections. She will be asking questions such as, "Where do you get your election news and information? How do you think reporters can cover elections better?"

Both of the candidates for Winnebago County District 3 trustee, Ray Thompson and John Guevara, plan to be at the event. District 3 covers much of Roscoe. The county board members for District 4 and 7, which cover the rest of Roscoe and part of South Beloit, are not up for reelection. Neither is County Board District 2 seat, which mostly covers Rockton and Shirland.

Neither of our state legislators, Andrew Chesney, State Senate District 45, nor John Cabello, State Representative District 90, have confirmed their attendance at the Roscoe meet and greet.

Also, since the League of Women voters is not holding events in Loves Park and Machesney Park, residents of those towns are invited to drive up to Roscoe to meet their representatives, Dave Vella, State Representative District 68 and possibly Steve Stadelman, State Senate District 34. In November, all Winnebago County ballots will include choices for County Coroner and 17th Judicial Court, but in March, they only appear on the Republican primary ballot, since there are no Democratic candidates.

More about the District 3 trustee election:

Ray Thompson: meet the Winnebago County Board District 3 candidates

John Guevara: meet the Winnebago County Board District 3 candidates

League member Judy Schultz will be the moderator of this non-partisan event. Hononegah students will serve as greeters and timekeepers.

Unlike a debate format, candidates will not be asked questions by the moderator. Each candidate will have three minutes to speak, then the audience will have time to sit down one on one with the candidates and ask them any questions they wish.

All participants are required to conduct themselves in a civil and businesslike fashion. All the sponsors have agreed not to promote the events in a partisan manner, and not to endorse any candidates until after the meet and greet. Rockton-Roscoe News is a non-partisan publication that does not endorse any candidates.

This is one of five candidate meet and greets in Winnebago County this spring that LWVGR is hosting, along with AAUW, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Women’s March Rockford, and the Rockford Public Library.

Invited to appear at these events: the candidates running for Winnebago County Circuit Clerk, State’s Attorney, Coroner, County Board, as well as our Illinois State Senate and Illinois Representatives. John Cabello, running for reelection as the District 90 State Representative, has been invited to the Roscoe event. All candidates were sent invitations on February 4.

On the March 19 primary ballot, most races will be uncontested, with only one candidate each. Local ballots will include John Cabello for Illinois House of Representatives District 90, Joseph Chiarelli for County Chairman, Tom Klein for Circuit Clerk, J. Hanley for State's Attorney, Bill Crowley for County Auditor, and Jennifer Muraski for Coroner. Other candidates will include Darin LaHood for U.S. House Illinois District 16 and Lisa Holder White for Illinois Supreme Court District 4. Eugene Doherty and Amy Lannerd are running for reelection to their seats on the Illinois 4th District Appellate Court.

One of the only contested races in Rockton, Roscoe, and South Beloit is for Winnebago County District 3, between Ray Thompson and John Guevara. Erik Jacobs and Nicholas Meyer are running for Illinois Circuit Court Judge 17th Circuit, to replace McGraw.

Sue Theden, President of the League of Women Voters of Greater Rockford says, "Even though some local elections are uncontested, it’s important to know where all the candidates stand on issues of importance to you, which is why the League is offering voters the chance to hear from all candidates, talk to the candidates and read about them."

Besides the meet and greets, LWVGR sent a questionnaire on January 22 to all local candidates. Their answers are being published verbatim in the www.IllinoisVoterGuide.org. Neither Ray Thompson nor John Guevara are included, but they responded to separate questions from Rockton-Roscoe News.