That said, I have to say that I'm very pleased to report that Bob Cook defeated Dan Venturi's bid for a third term as party chairman. Venturi had become a bit of a controversial figure for conservatives in Lake County, and while I can't recount everything that was said about him, I will say that, from my perspective as a Republican primary candidate, his dealings with me were neither as honest nor as even-handed as I might have wished (see here and here).
For those who (as I was until last summer) are unfamiliar with the process, in Illinois outside Cook County, precinct committeemen who are elected in the primary then elect the county chairman at a county convention held a month later. And so, last night, in every county in Illinois, both the Republicans and the Democrats held a county convention.
Although I lost my primary challenge for state representative I won my contested race for precinct committeeman in my own precinct, and so I was able to attend as a voting member of the convention from Avon Township.
To backtrack a bit, several months ago, my friend, Vernon Township GOP Chairman Don Castella, launched a campaign to oppose Venturi for County Chairman. He went all over the county speaking to conservatives anywhere he could find them, discussing the need for conservatives to run for precinct committeeman and elect conservative party leaders. He outlined a clear plan for what he would do as County Chairman. But, as things turned out, Castella proved to be a bit of a lightning rod for more moderate elements in the county party, and it appeared that Castella would not be able to get the votes to beat Venturi.
Then, a month or so ago, a group of conservatives prevailed on former Wauconda Township GOP Chairman Bob Cook to seek the post. While a good conservative, Cook seems more able to appeal to moderates in the party, and, I must confess, is a better public speaker than Castella. A Marine veteran, and a father of three sons who have all served in Iraq (one is currently serving in Afghanistan), Cook cannot be fairly described as eloquent, but he is forthright and energetic in his style. It's been an interesting month as the candidates have lobbied the precinct committeemen at gatherings, by phone, by mail, and in Castella's case through email, Facebook, and a sophisticated website.
It was shaping up very much as though Castella and Cook would split the conservative vote and allow Venturi to be elected to a third term. But then, about a week ago, Castella withdrew from the race, and threw his support to Cook.
Last night, just before the voting, Venturi (evidently having canvassed the votes and realizing that he could not win) took the podium and withdrew his candidacy, asking for a unanimous consent motion to elect Cook by acclamation.
What kind of chairman will Cook be? I have high hopes. As I mentioned, Cook was a Marine sergeant, and he has a Marine's bluntness. When I spoke to him about supporting the Republican platform planks on the social issues, he didn't beat around the bush. "Killing babies is bad," he said to me. "We have to make room in the party for people who are pro-choice, but they have to understand that killing babies is bad."
Cook's clearly and consistently stated desire is to unite the party and elect Republican candidates in the general election. This is an appropriate goal for the season, but his long-term plans are more ambitious. I heard him say that he intends to increase fundraising by more than five-fold, to recruit and train more precinct committeemen (about half the precinct committeeman posts in Lake County are vacant), and improve the party's messaging. Towards this last goal, he will be ably assisted by Castella, whose understanding and use of new media and social networking tools is unequaled by anyone in the local party leadership.
Last night was a good night for conservatives in Lake County.
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