The July 6 shooting of Sonya Massey by a Sangamon County sheriff's deputy occurred many months after the deadline for candidates to get their names placed on the 2024 Sangamon County election ballot. But that single issue has focused interest on county elected offices like never before.
Gone are the days when Sangamon County Board meetings were brief affairs with little or no public or news media interest. Those meetings were recently moved to the BOS Center because so many people have been attending to voice their concerns about the Massey incident and what's being done about it.
The Sangamon County Board has for many years been overwhelmingly Republican. The GOP currently holds 21 seats versus eight for the Democrats, and that number already reflects some inroads that the Democratic Party has made in recent years. Fifteen of the board's 29 seats are up for election on Nov. 5, with 10 Republicans and five Democrats seeking reelection. Four incumbent Republicans and four incumbent Democrats are running unopposed.
The big question is, will the Sonya Massey killing have an impact on the Sangamon County Board when voters make their choices on Nov. 5?
"Definitely," said Sangamon County Democratic Chair Bill Houlihan. "People are questioning what was being done, what was being told to us, and I think it's motivated people to look into their government and see what they're actually doing."
Houlihan isn't aware of any Democratic write-in candidates who are trying to offer an alternative to the unopposed Republican board candidates, but even before the Massey incident the Democrats actively recruited candidates for county offices.
"We went out and recruited candidates that resembled their districts, environment and community, then we explained to them what they needed to do," Houlihan said. "This is how you go door knocking, this is how you do mailings, you need to get signs up, you must talk to your neighbors and get them to vote."
Sangamon County Republican Chair Dianne Barghouti Hardwick agreed that Massey will be on voters' minds when they cast ballots.
"I think it will be influential in the election, and I think crime in general is on people's minds, including those incidents that don't necessarily have to do with policing problems," Barghouti Hardwick said. "Also the homeless situation; they congregate in places and people are worried about that."
The Republicans have also recruited new blood for county offices. "We have a couple of younger members coming forward who want to serve on the County Board, so that's a good thing," Barghouti Hardwick said.
Two contested County Board races include one featuring a rising star Democratic incumbent who faces a strong Republican challenger, and another that for the second time pits the long-time County Board chair, a Republican, against his next-door neighbor.
Rising star against familiar name
The man who defeated a long-term incumbent two years ago is now facing a strong challenge from a woman with a well-known local name. Democrat Marc Ayers is defending his 12th District board seat against Republican Colleen Lucas Cavanagh, who is making her first run for public office.
The 39-year-old Ayers beat Republican Linda Fulgenzi in 2022 by 55.3 to 44.7 percent by "knocking on thousands of doors, I was relentless," he said. Since the Massey murder he's seen "a huge amount of community leaders, Black voices, young voices in our community that have risen to the occasion. They've all come to our meetings, and it's the new wave of leaders that will eventually replace me someday on the board."
Ayers helps the Sangamon County Democratic Party to recruit fresh new candidates to run for public office, and he said those candidates have been energized by the Massey killing and its aftermath.
"We want to have a spot on the ballot in every race for someone to have a choice when they vote. The Democrats have done a tremendous job in increasing the minority and female participation on the ballot," Ayers said. "We want to be able to show voters that we're not going to be dissuaded by the political makeup of a particular district. These new activists are following local politics and they are awake to what has happened. They want to fix it."
Colleen Lucas Cavanagh is the Republican version of the new type of candidate that Ayers mentioned.
"Prior to January, I probably wouldn't have known who my county board representative was, and I think the Sonya Massey case put in the forefront that the County Board represents different districts within the county," Lucas Cavanagh said. "It's gotten people to realize the County Board exists and what the board can actually do. There are a lot of false rumors going around that the County Board can solve all of these problems, and that's not necessarily how it works."
Lucas Cavanagh said her door-to-door campaign "is like speed dating with 7,000 people" and although "running for office is outside of my comfort zone, you have to be part of the solution."
Lucas Cavanagh joined several other hopefuls to seek the unexpired term of Circuit Clerk Paul Palazzolo when he stepped down in October 2023. After Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter appointed Republican Joe Roesch to fill that seat, Lucas Cavanagh was recruited by the Republican Party to run for the County Board.
"Right now in politics people are complaining about this and that, and I really wanted to be a role model for my 20-year-old daughter and show her that you have to get involved in your community," the 54-year-old Lucas Cavanagh said. "I felt like in order to keep this government by the people in operation, we need to have new people."
Ayers, a lobbyist by trade, said he knew Lucas Cavanagh's family name long before he knew her, "but the voters don't care anymore about names and political dynasties; they put their support behind someone who truly represents them," he said.
Regarding Ayers' rising star in local politics, Lucas Cavanagh feels "he's just another opponent. I'm going to run my campaign the way I want to run it," she said. "I believe in the two-party system, so when I first met Marc I said, you know, the people in District 12 are lucky because they have two people to choose from and that doesn't happen a lot of times."
Lucas Cavanagh acknowledged that her name recognition is a plus with the voters, but it's not just the familiar Cavanagh family name. She is a teacher by trade, and often encounters former students when she's out campaigning.
"The Lucas name is also well-known because my parents were very involved in Christ the King School. I had five sisters, and I taught thousands of kids how to swim when I was younger as the swim teacher and lifeguard at Colony West Pool," Lucas Cavanagh said. "So when I knock on doors the person who answers will often realize that I taught them to swim years ago, or they were one of my former school students."
Ayers' campaign signs feature a paw print, a reminder that one of his proudest accomplishments on the county board was leading the drive to overhaul Sangamon County Animal Control, something he hopes to continue if reelected.
"I brought my passion for animals to public office to fix something that I knew needed to be fixed," Ayers said. "We have now achieved nearly no-kill status for dogs and cats at Animal Control, and that's especially remarkable when you look at the fact that we've been at capacity for over two years. That issue is not mission accomplished, but we are close to it."
Ayers is also "an enviro at heart" and is the County Board's primary voice in support of renewable energy. His Springfield home is outfitted with solar panels, and "every solar farm that came to my desk, I voted for it," he said. "I'm also trying to work with other board members to get a large-scale wind development company to come into Sangamon County."
Ayers was the first elected official to call for Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell's resignation in the midst of the Sonya Massey protests, and he wants to continue his work in reforming the department as a member of the County Board's jail committee.
Lucas Cavanagh sees herself as someone who can help constituents with any issue they may face with county government.
"I want to be available and approachable to any constituents who have issues with county government. I've already helped several people who qualified for an additional property tax exemption that they otherwise would not have known about," Lucas Cavanagh said. "People just need to know where to go to get things done. I can help with that situation and be the person that guides people through government.
"There are a lot of people that are very upset about a lot of things and they make a lot of noise," Lucas Cavanagh said. "But if they truly want to make a change they need to step in and put their name in the hat and understand more about how the process works."
Republican Chair Barghouti Hardwick feels that Lucas Cavanagh has a good shot at returning the 12th District to the GOP.
"Colleen has a well-known name and has been over her potential county board district multiple times and talked to people individually. People have responded very well to her," Barghouti Hardwick said. "That County Board district has different income levels, and Colleen has talked with the people in multiple areas and learned about what it is that they want or need and what their interests are."
Sangamon County Board District 12 encompasses Jerome, Leland Grove and part of Springfield's west side, including Washington Park.
Democratic Chair Houlihan acknowledged the District 12 seat "is the one that Republicans would really like to win back because they had it in their column for a long time," he said. "But that part of the city is really transitioning from moderate Republican to moderate Democrat. So I think Marc, who takes care of business all of the time and is not afraid to work and is knocking on doors, should be successful."
More engaged and aware than ever before
The Sangamon County Board District 24 contest is seeing some unusual campaign materials, including leaf bags, fire-starting concoctions and handwritten thank-you notes.
"When somebody actually answers the door and we have a conversation, I've been writing personal notes to the voters because it's huge to have that interaction," said candidate Maureen Duffy Bommarito. "I just want to tell people that I appreciate their time."
Bommarito, a Democrat, is running a second time against her neighbor and 30-year incumbent Andy Van Meter, a Republican who has been the County Board chair since 2000.
First-time candidate Bommarito lost to Van Meter by 56.4 to 43.6 percent in 2022, and she hopes to improve on those numbers this time around. In addition to the handwritten notes, her name appears on brown paper leaf disposal bags and as "Bomb-arito" on special bomb-shaped natural fire starters that people can use to help ignite fireplaces and fire pits.
"It was surprising to a lot of people that I came so close two years ago. I knew that I had done everything that I could to have a successful race," the 51-year-old Bommarito said. "I feel that people are more engaged and aware than ever before. Because of the Sonya Massey tragedy, many more people are aware of how important the County Board is."
Incumbent Van Meter agreed that the Massey murder has put the County Board races on many people's minds, and it has been the primary issue he's dealt with this year as board chair.
"Everyone who learned about this and saw that video had the same reaction – how did this happen in our community? And everybody wants to do something about it," Van Meter said. "The question is figuring out what to do, and figuring that out takes time. At the moment, the whole board is united in the view that we don't want this to happen in our community, and how do we prevent this from happening again?"
The 66-year-old Van Meter hopes to be reelected so he can continue the community dialogue over the Massey killing and work on ways to address the root causes of the situation. He said it takes calm, steady leadership to make that happen.
"We've always come together as a board. Sometimes it takes a little time and you need to study the issues, and there are oftentimes competing good ideas for what's the right way to move forward," Van Meter said. "My experience has been that given time to do the research, board members generally develop a consensus around a series of priorities and we are able to move forward."
Bommarito posits that current board members weren't questioning the high turnover rates at the sheriff's department, a situation many feel contributed to the hiring of Sean Grayson, the now ex-deputy charged with Massey's murder.
"Andy has been chairman for 24 years, and I think many board members are beholden to him and aren't confident in speaking against the direction he wants the board to go," said Bommarito, a forensic chemist with the Illinois State Police. "This is a systemic problem; it's a culture issue in the sheriff's department that needs to be addressed."
Van Meter was elected to the County Board in 1994, and said the board is involved in many more issues now than when he was first sworn in 30 years ago. Among the things that remain his priorities are the Massey Commission, services for the homeless, mental health services for the county jail, and the downtown Springfield railroad relocation project, which Van Meter feels will be complete in 2027 or 2028.
Van Meter was pleased that the County Board made the overhaul of Animal Control a top priority, an effort which he said generated substantial results, and Bommarito also has a passion for animal welfare in the county. Bommarito's other priorities if elected include more public transparency for the County Board, using new and natural methods to control stormwater flooding and support for renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.
The county political party chairs have their eyes on the District 24 race. Republican Chair Dianne Barghouti Hardwick said that Van Meter's past election victories show that the voters respond favorably to his record in office.
"Andy is a businessman and has that perspective on Springfield and Sangamon County, where the opportunities are, and he works exceptionally hard on bringing things to our county such as the rail project," Barghouti Hardwick said. "He really does know his stuff, and he listens to people to identify what we need, then he works with the leaders to do what needs to be done to improve situations."
Democratic Chair Houlihan, who recruited Bommarito to run two years ago, is confident she'll do well on Nov. 5.
"Last time she ran a really good race, and she's out working hard again. She really earned her spurs last time with the voters," Houlihan said. "I think voters are taking a look at her and saying, you know, maybe it's time for a change in that district. We've had the same board member for 30 years."
County Board District 24 encompasses a portion of the west side of Springfield, bordered on the north by Monroe Street and Old Jacksonville Road. Only one house on Fair Oaks Drive separates the two candidates who want to represent this long district.
"My opponent is a very nice lady, and the Bommaritos are a very nice family," Van Meter said. "It's a story of America that you can be next door neighbors and agree about lots of things, even if you disagree on politics. We can still have other interests that continue to connect us."
Bommarito said she wasn't really aware of who Van Meter was until she knocked on doors during her 2022 campaign.
"We rarely see each other even though we are neighbors – he's very busy – but when we do, we don't talk politics," Bommarito said. "We both just want to represent our community."
Van Meter, who founded a Springfield-based company that designs household products for large retailers, is a door-to-door campaigner who finds it "gratifying" when people interrupt their busy lives to talk to him.
"This is the only office I've ever held, and the Democrats say that I've already risen to my level of incompetence," Van Meter said with a chuckle. "The County Board is a place where one can really contribute and make a difference, and not in a showy way but a very effective way. I've really enjoyed my service."
Bommarito, who's "not a political person," has still enjoyed meeting District 24 residents and keeps a map updated with red ink of the neighborhoods she has visited. She also has an ever-growing stack of handwritten thank-you notes that she regularly mails to the people she's met.
"It takes a long time and my writing isn't the neatest, but it's worth it," Bommarito said.
GOP still has control
Other contested Sangamon County Board races include: District 9, incumbent Republican Tom Madonia, Jr. of Rochester versus Democrat Dana Stoerger of Springfield; District 16, incumbent Republican Greg Stumpf of Springfield faces Democrat Garret Selinger, also of Springfield; District 25, incumbent Republican Jennifer Ghesquiere is being challenged by Democrat Jennifer Merritt and Libertarian Russ Clark, all of Springfield; District 26, incumbent Republican Justin Davsko of Chatham faces Democrat Rick Thompson of Springfield to fill a two-year unexpired term; and District 27, incumbent Republican Abe Forsyth of Springfield is up against Democrat Kamilah Webb, also of Springfield.
Those running unopposed for reelection to the County Board include: District 8 Tom Rader, District 13 Brad Miller, District 15 Tim Krell and District 17 Annette Fulgenzi, all Republicans; and District 19 Vera Small, District 21 Clyde Bunch, District 21 Gina Lathan and District 28 Kevin McGuire, all Democrats.
The mathematics favor the Republicans retaining control of the Sangamon County Board on Nov. 5.
"Regardless of whether we have wins or not, we still have control of the County Board," said Republican Chair Barghouti Hardwick, who expects the county's political makeup to remain GOP for a while.
"But when you have every statewide office being held by Democrats for some time, and their staffs are moving into the county and other people are leaving our state because of taxes, it does change things a little bit," Barghouti Hardwick said. "But we have a lot of people who still live here. The farmers can't take their land and go somewhere else, and farmers in general are fairly conservative people."
Democratic Chair Houlihan is optimistic that Sangamon County might start leaning more toward the Democrats after this election.
"There are pockets out there in the county where the Republicans have really had their way in the last 10 years, but I think some of those areas are going to come back around," Houlihan said. "People actually like what (presidential candidate) Kamala Harris is saying and doing, and I think that's going to help our down-ballot candidates.
"This is a presidential election year, and we should see a lot more people vote," Houlihan added. "It usually helps Democrats when more people vote, and that's what we're pushing. We're pushing the early vote, the vote by mail. We will continue to do that, and I think we can be successful.
David Blanchette is a freelance writer based in Petersburg who has covered politics extensively for Illinois Times, most recently at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
