Three file for County Board seat vacated by Sabonjian

Melissa Bean's competition tops out at 8

Waukegan Township Clerk Rose Staben hopes to become the first Latina on the Lake County Board.

Staben, a Waukegan resident, filed election petitions Monday to run as a Democrat in County Board District 8 in the Feb. 2 primary. Also running in the Democratic primary for that seat is Waukegan Park District Board President Bill Durkin.

A Green Party candidate, Kevin Gartley of Waukegan has also filed petitions for the seat, which was vacated by former board member Robert Sabonjian following his election as mayor of Waukegan earlier this year.

Collin Michael O'Rourke, a Waukegan Democrat who was appointed to finish Sabonjian's term, said he will not seek election next fall.

Staben said that if she is elected to the position in the Nov. 2 general election next fall, she will step down as clerk in Waukegan Township, a post she gained by edging out former Clerk Lourie Shipley in the last Democratic primary election.

Durkin said his term on the Park District Board expires next fall, and he will not seek re-election to that board if he is elected to the County Board.

Last-minute petition filers made races for the 8th and 10th Congressional districts more crowded as well.

In the 8th Congressional District, where incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean, D-Barrington, is seeking re-election, Republican Joe Walsh of Winnetka, Democrat Jonathan Farnick of Woodstock and Green Party candidate Bill Scheurer of Lindenhurst filed election petitions Monday.

That brought the total number of candidates seeking the office to six Republicans, two Democrats and one Green Party candidate.

In the 10th Congressional District, Republican Patricia Bird of Mount Prospect filed petitions on Monday, which leaves seven Republicans, four Democrats and one Green Party candidate vying for the seat to be vacated by incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park.