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Post by title1parent on Aug 25, 2009 5:05:52 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=316185&src=76DeSart considering run at Senger's 96th House seat By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald Dawn DeSart, who was elected to the Indian Prairie Unit District 204 school board this spring and was seated in May, already has her sights set on a higher office. DeSart confirmed Monday she is considering a run at the 96th District House seat held by first-term Republican Rep. Darlene Senger of Naperville. The House district covers western Naperville, eastern Aurora and a small part of Warrenville. She's always dreamed of running for statewide office, but DeSart said she didn't think that would happen for at least another decade. Then the Democrats came knocking. The Aurora woman said she was first approached "in early summer" by state Democratic officials about challenging Senger. DeSart said she committed to solicit signatures on nominating petitions within the past week. "I was told that the Democrats were searching the district for someone with a passion for public service who could work across the aisle and my name came up," DeSart said. "It sounds cliché, but I believe Springfield has too many politicians and not enough public servants and I've led a life of public service." Nominating petitions, with at least 500 valid signatures, for the Feb. 2 primary must be filed with the state board of elections between Oct. 26 and Nov. 2. "This is a little premature because I'm not officially running yet," said DeSart, who started circulating petitions Saturday and already has 300 signatures. "I'm putting a high mark on myself and won't even file unless I get at least 3,000 signatures because I need to know if there's any support out there." If she was to be elected in the November 2010 general election, DeSart would have served less than half of her four-year school board term. She said she doesn't think voters would hold it against her if she doesn't finish her term. "I think people in this district are savvy enough to realize that most people running for an office already hold a lower or equal office," DeSart said. "I still have my number one job and that's the school district. I will not and I have not been shirking those responsibilities." She also promised that, if she does make a run at Senger, it will not get as "controversial or negative" as the campaign run by Senger's previous opponent, Dianne McGuire, that tried to link Senger to "back-alley abortions." "I live in this town and have a reputation in this town so if I run, it will be nothing like last time," DeSart said. "I have to go to church here and my kids have to go to school here, so I will not do anything to jeopardize my reputation." Senger could not be reached for comment Monday.
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Post by asmodeus on Aug 25, 2009 7:47:53 GMT -5
I hope she withdraws from her SB position.
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Arwen
Master Member
Posts: 933
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Post by Arwen on Aug 25, 2009 7:49:33 GMT -5
I hope she withdraws from her SB position. When? Now or when she files? If she wins?
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Post by brant on Aug 25, 2009 9:28:53 GMT -5
This is very disappointing. If this is the case then she had to be planning on somehing like this before the school board elections even before she was approached. She didn't give a d**n obviously about our district. Still I find it amazing she would bail this quickly after being elected.
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Arwen
Master Member
Posts: 933
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Post by Arwen on Aug 25, 2009 9:43:26 GMT -5
This is very disappointing. If this is the case then she had to be planning on somehing like this before the school board elections even before she was approached. She didn't give a d**n obviously about our district. Still I find it amazing she would bail this quickly after being elected. I agree that it is disappointing, but I don't think she had it all planned out before she ran for school board. I do think she probably thought the school board was a good first office and did plan to pursue another office eventually, but I doubt she was planning it so soon. My guess is that her success as a SB candidate made her an appealing option to the Democratic organization.
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Post by justvote on Aug 25, 2009 10:18:32 GMT -5
This is very disappointing. If this is the case then she had to be planning on somehing like this before the school board elections even before she was approached. There may be some truth to this, but I think a more likely scenario is that she had an eye on higher office down the road a few years, but that the Democratic party encouraged her to run now, because of the timing. Darlene Senger is a Freshman rep and still very green. This is the best opportunity for the Democratic party to unseat her. If a strong candidate waits too long to run against her, it will be much harder to unseat Darlene as she will be firmly entrenched as the incumbent.
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Post by gatordog on Aug 25, 2009 12:30:26 GMT -5
I really dont have much of a problem with DDS thinking about this. I dont think this will at all prevent her from being an effective SB member right now.
SB members always have other professional and personal issues that could potentially distract them from their SB job. It just so happens, with this being a political issue.....it becomes public. While the other ones do not.
OK. i can understand disappointment in that many of us feel that 204 could lose somebody who is smart, with leadership skills, and ability to make good decisions for us. But those abilities are needed for higher office as well.
No matter, all this is is over a year away.
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Post by mov4ward on Aug 25, 2009 12:35:51 GMT -5
I don't see this as a big deal. In recent years, several school board members have left before the end of their term. Dawn can continue to serve the community well until the time comes that she leaves (although I did not vote for her).
It's less than a year away. The primary is in February although she likely will be unopposed. She will still need to campaign beginning in January so people know she is running.
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Post by warriormom on Aug 25, 2009 15:09:29 GMT -5
I really dont have much of a problem with DDS thinking about this. I dont think this will at all prevent her from being an effective SB member right now. SB members always have other professional and personal issues that could potentially distract them from their SB job. It just so happens, with this being a political issue.....it becomes public. While the other ones do not. OK. i can understand disappointment in that many of us feel that 204 could lose somebody who is smart, with leadership skills, and ability to make good decisions for us. But those abilities are needed for higher office as well. No matter, all this is is over a year away. spoken like a true Democrat.
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Post by asmodeus on Aug 25, 2009 15:21:45 GMT -5
When she files.
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Post by WeNeed3 on Aug 25, 2009 15:25:30 GMT -5
Sometimes I wonder why we have 4 year seats on our board as not many people stick around that long around here it seems. How many appointments have we had in the last 5 years?
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Post by gatordog on Aug 25, 2009 16:01:10 GMT -5
I really dont have much of a problem with DDS thinking about this. I dont think this will at all prevent her from being an effective SB member right now. SB members always have other professional and personal issues that could potentially distract them from their SB job. It just so happens, with this being a political issue.....it becomes public. While the other ones do not. OK. i can understand disappointment in that many of us feel that 204 could lose somebody who is smart, with leadership skills, and ability to make good decisions for us. But those abilities are needed for higher office as well. No matter, all this is is over a year away. spoken like a true Democrat. actually, this partisan stuff has absolutely nothing do with it. I would have said the exact same thing if she were running as a Republican. Actually, you should say "spoken like an enthusiastic support of Dawn when she ran for SB" I should say I like Senger too.
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Post by warriormom on Aug 25, 2009 16:28:43 GMT -5
spoken like a true Democrat. actually, this partisan stuff has absolutely nothing do with it. I would have said the exact same thing if she were running as a Republican. Actually, you should say "spoken like an enthusiastic support of Dawn when she ran for SB" I should say I like Senger too. understood; i was kidding anyway.
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Post by title1parent on Aug 27, 2009 5:11:07 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=316787&src=76Dist. 204 board members cast cautious eye at DeSart House runBy Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 8/27/09 Indian Prairie Unit District 204 had its fair share of controversy last year, from an alleged sexual assault involving middle schoolers to concerns surrounding the opening of a new high school. So many board members were eager for the fresh start that often accompanies a new school year. Then their phones started ringing. Dawn DeSart, one of three new board members elected in April, was calling each of them Monday evening to let them know she was contemplating a run at Republican Rep. Darlene Senger's 96th District House seat, which covers western Naperville, eastern Aurora and a small part of Warrenville. DeSart, a Democrat, said party leaders had approached her about challenging Senger and she wanted to inform each board member personally before they read it in the next morning's newspaper. Board President Curt Bradshaw said he was "surprised" to learn DeSart was contemplating not finishing her four-year term. He said he hopes her political decisions don't affect the district negatively. "I expect all of our board members to fulfill their obligations to the public, whether or not they are running for another office," Bradshaw said. "The entire board will work together to ensure that we remain focused on the public's business, rather than politics." Cathy Piehl, who was appointed to the board in 2008 and was elected to her own term with DeSart in April, said she was "a little taken back" by the news. Piehl said she advised DeSart to consider the move carefully. "Dawn is really good at presenting herself to the public and doing things like that so I am not totally surprised that she was approached," Piehl said. "But either way, I don't see this interfering too much with our business until it gets closer to the election. Then I probably won't enjoy the attention that brings to the (school) district." Chris Vickers, who was re-elected to her seat in April, said she's excited DeSart is getting the opportunity to tackle something she aspires to. In confirming her interest in the House seat on Monday, DeSart said she's long been interested in a political career but hadn't planned to pursue it for another decade or so. "Who would have known? I don't think she planned this. This just fell in her lap so what are you going to do?" Vickers said. "But that's not something I would do. I think you risk disappointing your constituency. I mentioned that to her, that that's a risk you take because those are the same people that you hope will vote for you for representative." Board member Mark Metzger declined to comment on DeSart's decision, saying he "tends to run in the circles of the opposing party." One person not holding back is Aurora resident Mark Rising, who finished fourth in the race for three available school board seats in April. He ended up just 105 votes behind Vickers. "DeSart and I agreed on a lot of issues and I said regardless of my finishing runner-up on school board I would support the incoming members in their job as school board members," he said. "I wish Dawn the best of luck in her future endeavors if she chooses to run for the 96th District House seat. I will, however, be disappointed if she does not fulfill her commitment and her seat in District 204 that the voters elected her to." If she won the November 2010 general election, DeSart would have served less than half of her four-year school board term. She said she doesn't think voters would hold it against her. "I think people in this district are savvy enough to realize that most people running for an office already hold a lower or equal office," DeSart said Monday. "I still have my number one job and that's the school district. I will not and I have not been shirking those responsibilities."
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Post by title1parent on Aug 27, 2009 5:13:21 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=316789&src=76Senger surprised by challenge from Dist. 204 school board memberBy Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 8/27/09 As surprised as some of Dawn DeSart's peers were with her decision to contemplate a run for the 96th District House seat, no one was caught more off guard than incumbent state Rep. Darlene Senger. Senger, a Naperville Republican, said she was aware the state's Democratic leaders were recruiting someone to run against her in the November 2010 general election. But she says she was stunned to learn it was someone she had supported in the spring Indian Prairie Unit District 204 school board race. "I voted for (DeSart) in April and encouraged my constituents to do the same because I wanted her on that school board," Senger said Wednesday. "Had I known she would only be in office a few short months before she took a run at my seat, I probably wouldn't have voted for her." DeSart said Monday she was approached by state Democratic leaders earlier this summer and decided within the past week to move forward and circulate petitions. Senger was careful not to criticize DeSart's methods. Senger herself served only half of her four-year term on Naperville's city council before being elected to the House. "I served on the council for two years and got a feel for the issues and decided I could be a difference-maker at that (state) level," Senger said. "When I elect someone, I hope they at least serve for some period of time. As for Dawn, I really don't think she realizes how hard Springfield can be." DeSart's political aspirations also may cause some awkwardness on her own school board. Board member Mark Metzger said Tuesday he "tends to run in the circles of the (Republican) opposition" when asked to comment on DeSart's announcement. Cathy Piehl, who was elected to the Indian Prairie board with DeSart, advised DeSart to carefully consider the move. "I told (Dawn) it would be a tough race for her to win," Piehl said. "I've been a supporter of Darlene for a long time. She's a strong supporter of our district and I see her as an asset to things we're trying to accomplish." Mark Rising, who finished fourth in the race for three school board seats in April, said he hopes to be appointed to fill DeSart's seat should she leave. Senger, meanwhile, already has his vote for the House. "As a fiscal conservative, member and committeeman of the Naperville Township Republican Organization, I will be supporting Darlene Senger for her long track record, commitment, compassion and service to the Indian Prairie School District community," Rising said. "Should Dawn get elected (to the House), I will do my best as an active parent in District 204 to encourage her support of (the school district) as an elected state official."
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