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Wednesday, March 19, 2014
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NOVEMBER LINEUP SET Rauner tops GOP field for gov. spot The ASSOCIATED PRESS CHICAGO – Venture capitalist Bruce Rauner won the GOP primary Tuesday in his bid for Illinois governor, as voters embraced a first campaign by the multimillionaire who flooded the airwaves with vows to run the Democratic stronghold like a business and curb the influence of government unions. Rauner says he would model his governorship after those of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. Both significantly rolled back union power in what they said were necessary steps to attract business and reduce costs. Rauner defeated state Sens. Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard and state Treasurer Dan Rutherford in the primary, and will advance to a November matchup with Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, who easily won his nomination for a second full term. With 91 percent of precincts reporting, unofficial totals showed Rauner with a 17,000-vote lead over state
More online Check DailyChronicle.com for updated election returns and coverage.
Sen. Kirk Dillard. Republicans had a lot riding Tuesday’s Illinois primary as the party fights to remain relevant in a state in which Democrats hold almost all statewide offices and a substantial majority of congressional and legislative seats. Another big decision was which candidate had the best shot at unseating powerful, three-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, and voters chose state Sen. Jim Oberweis, a Sugar Grove dairy magnate who twice ran unsuccessfully for the job. With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Oberweis held a significant lead over
See GOP, page A6
AP Photo
Bruce Rauner answers questions after voting Tuesday in Winnetka.
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Democrat Trent Taylor hugs mother Peggy Marcum after finding out he won the primary race for DeKalb County Clerk Tuesday at Pizza Pros in DeKalb. Taylor received 676 votes while opponent Denise Ii received 402 votes.
Taylor wins Dem county clerk nod By ANDREA AZZO aazzo@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Democrat Trent Taylor hugged his mother and cried Tuesday night after he learned he had won his party’s nomination for DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder during a party at Pizza Pro’s in DeKalb. Taylor garnered about 63 percent of the vote in an election with a markedly low voter turnout. Taylor had 676 votes, defeating Denise Ii, who had 402 votes, according to unofficial vote totals. It was an emotional moment for Taylor. “I put lot of work into it,
starting with petitions and campaigning,” Taylor said. “We got the results we wanted. I’m very happy.” Republican Craig Genteman also won his race for DeKalb County District 9 with 190 votes, or about 54 percent, defeating opponent Samuel-Louis Bandy Jr., who had 160 votes. With a 30-vote margin, Bandy has five days from the time the official totals are announced to seek a recount, DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder Doug Johnson said. Genteman will face incumbent Democrat Jim Luebke, and Taylor will face Johnson in November. Johnson was appointed to
the position in September to finish the term of John Acardo. Voter turnout was about 10 percentage points lower than the turnout in the 2010 primary. Only 14.92 percent of DeKalb County’s 57,903 registered voters cast a ballot in this primary. In February 2010, about a quarter of the county’s 56,012 registered voters cast a ballot. The results for write-in votes will be tabulated in a few days, Johnson said. In the Democratic campaign for county clerk, both Taylor and Ii said the public should be better informed about the office but differed on how they would accom-
plish that goal. Taylor suggested the DeKalb County website system should be improved, pointing to 2017, when the contract for the current online system expires. Taylor contended improving information available to the public is critical to the role of clerk. Taylor’s focus for increasing visibility and communication in the clerk’s office was on social media such as Facebook and Twitter, which he said could be used to coax younger people to the polls. Genteman is also gearing for the general election
See LOCAL ELECTION, page A6
D-428 board accepts DeKalb athletic director’s resignation By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Less than two years after accepting the position, Bryon Houy has resigned as athletic director at DeKalb School District 428. The District 428 board unanimously accepted Houy’s resignation and dismissed more than a dozen teachers during their meeting Tuesday night.
Houy took over as athletic director in July 2012, replacing Dan Jones, who took a similar position with Hinsdale Central. Houy’s salary was $108,150, according to a contract the school board approved in April that expires June 30. The district also paid for his entire contributions to the Illinois Teacher’s Retirement System and Teacher’s Health Insurance Security Funds.
According to the contract, Houy was up for review in February. Board members had the option to renew his contract for another year. His resignation will be ef- Bryon Houy fective June 30. Before coming to DeKalb, Houy was the athletic director at Belvidere for two years
and then was put in charge of Belvidere and Belvidere North for the next three. DeKalb’s main coaching hire during Houy’s tenure came in February 2013, after interim football coach Todd Hallaron was not rehired after a 2-7 season in 2012. Houy worked with a search committee, which ultimately chose Matt Weckler, who had coached at Belvidere. Weckler led the Barbs to
a 5-5 record this year and DeKalb football reached the postseason for the first time in four years. School officials declined to comment on Houy’s resignation and did not know details of the search for the next athletic director. Houy could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. DeKalb was hosting supersectional boys basketball games at Northern Illinois Univer-
sity’s Convocation Center. Board members also voted to dismiss a dozen part-time teachers; not renew contracts for and dismiss three first-year probationary teachers, and one third-year probationary teacher; and honorably dismiss one full-time teacher. Superintendent Jim Briscoe said there is a chance
Inside today’s Daily Chronicle Lottery Local news Obituaries
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Weather A5, 8 A9 B1-4
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