Meet the Winnebago County Clerk candidates: Lori Gummow

Incumbent Lori Gummow faces challenger Michael Delgado in the race for Winnebago County Clerk in the June 28 Republican primary election. Since no Democratic candidate filed for the position, the winner of the Republican primary will hold the office.

The Winnebago County Clerk is responsible for maintaining the public records of Winnebago County in the areas of elections, vital records, taxes, and board records.

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Lori Gummow was the founding director of the Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful (KNIB) and has served as Winnebago County Clerk since 2018. Raised on the family farm near Rockton, she is a graduate of Hononegah Community High School and Rock Valley College. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications and public Relations from the University of Northern Iowa and a master of arts degree in organizational leadership from Judson University.

We asked each candidate to tell us why they should be elected as County Clerk.

Lori Gummow

What are your qualifications for Winnebago County Clerk?

I served almost four years now as the County Clerk Recorder and have learned every aspect of the office. My experience has been enhanced by my attendance at educational conferences and through interaction with my counterparts sharing best practices.

Why are you running?

I am running because I feel that I have been very successful in meeting the challenges of the office. We have managed through the pandemic and the slew of new laws that have come about as a result. I was also tasked with the reorganization of the Recorders office under the management of the Clerk and I feel like this too has been a successful endeavor. I enjoy serving people and meeting their needs.

What do you hope to accomplish if elected?

I will continue to provide the best service to our customers and our mission is to provide prompt service to people and businesses who need the materials that our office provides.

What are the reasons that people should vote for you?

• I have successfully absorbed the duties of the Recorders office as well as continued to manage the Clerk's office. The voters supported the referendum to combine the offices with an expectation that one elected official could manage the duties of both offices and I have done that.
• I have successfully managed the elections and the changes that came about as a result of the new election rules that were given to us from the legislature. Though it has been difficult, I believe that voters were confident that their votes counted.
• My overall experience and dedication to the office I manage and the people I serve are important to me.

Anything else you want to say?

It has been an honor to serve the people of Winnebago County and I hope that they will continue to have confidence in my ability to serve as their Clerk/Recorder.