Even as he vows not to spend too much time dwelling on it, Dan Ugaste readily admits he’s not surprised to hear rumblings about the Illinois GOP endorsement process being rigged in favor of the likes of Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“The history of Illinois politics is that those who are in power have often been willing to do all they can to remain there,” Ugaste told the McHenry Times. “That’s been our history.”
Thus far this election season, Republican leaders at a Palatine Township Republican Organization endorsement session recently charged that Chairman Aaron Del Mar, a longtime Rauner supporter and 2016 appointee of his to the Illinois International Port District, argued he wasn’t required to provide other group members with rules for the meeting.
Dan Ugaste
Eyebrows were also raised when Rauner won the Cook County Republican endorsement over Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), despite her winning 55 percent of the city vote.
Ugaste, a Geneva Republican running to replace retiring Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) in the 65th District, said all of that is part of why he’s remained so focused on his own campaign.
“We have to stay on message and remember that we had a once great state and this fight is all about getting us back there,” he said. “People are serious about this and our commitment is that we will be too.”
Ugaste said at the top the list of what everyone wants to talk about is everything that’s gone wrong in Springfield, particularly where longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) is concerned.
“Most people want to talk about Madigan and his dereliction,” he said. “First we hear about how he looked the other way with the sex scandal that hit Springfield, now we’re learning that some of the same things were going on in his own office. Meanwhile, Democrats have said nothing, while we know if this involved Republicans they would be screaming to the rooftop.”
The 65th House District includes Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Pingree Grove, Hampshire and Huntley.
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