The race to be the first person to throw in their hat in the ring for election season was lost to many before the doors opened at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Lake County Deputy Police Chief Ed Jenkins scored the top spot, using his keys to the building to roll in around 7 a.m. to file for Sheriff, Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman said. Several other office holders, such as Lake County Assessor LaTonya Spearman and Recorder Gina Pimentel, were also among the first, but that didn’t stop people from trying, she said.
“I unlocked the doors, and several people were like, ‘I’m going to be the first one!’ and I said, ‘Oh, I don’t think so,’ and then they walked in to see the line already there,” Fajman said.
Crowded though it may have been, the work seemed shorter in the Election Board office itself, she said, in large part because it changed the way they process the filings. It used to be that candidates would bring people to cheer them on, so Election Board workers would type in the information for them as a service so the entourages could take pictures and whatnot, Fajman said.
As they would hand them the paperwork back, Election Board workers would point out the things candidates needed to hand-initial, but there were enough times that they didn’t, and they’d get challenged as a result, Fajman said. Now, the board has the candidates fill out the paperwork themselves, and notaries are on hand to seal the deal.
“We’ve got roving notaries, so we’re good to go,” she said.
The office also considered moving the candidate lists to a ticker TV to play on repeat but decided the boards lining the hallway to the office were the way to go in the end, Fajman said.
“Everyone’s so excited, and they love the boards,” she said. “We may still run a ticker board in the coming weeks, though.”
With a tumultuous political season expected this year, Lake County’s party chairmen feel they’re ready for anything but expect challenges. Democratic Chair Mike Repay, who’s also a County Commissioner, said the party has been doing a lot of team building and recruitment to fill positions when the person’s retiring.
“This is the opportunity for the Democratic Party to get more people to be a part of it,” he said. “The splash will be measured over the next few weeks when we see the number of people who sign up. That’s the key.”
And all the gerrymandering concerns of the last few months have been an issue for decades: for the Dems, he added.
“There are some incredible challenges for us, and I’m sure it’s going to be a slog, but overall, I think we’ll find a lot of success,” Repay said.
Republican Chair Randy Niemeyer, who filed his paperwork to run again for the Lake County Council’s 7th District as well state delegate, marveled at the process.
“(Filing Day is) always exciting,” he said. “The fact that anyone who isn’t a felon can sign up to run for office makes us the greatest country in the world.”
Niemeyer expects the Republicans to have a better ballot than last time with qualified candidates, but so far, it’s not quite a full slate. He attributed that to potential candidates’ reticence to run.
“In today’s political environment, the main concern is social media and the attacks that people level. I have a pretty thick skin, so it doesn’t bother me, but I get it,” he said. “We should be able to be of a different political philosophy and still be able to shake hands.”
Mary Joan Dixon, who is a Cedar Lake town council member, came in to file for precinct committee person. At this point, it’s “second nature” to her.
“I know the people,” she said. “I would appreciate it if the Republican (poll) workers would show up, though.”
Paul Aguilera, of Hammond, filed for the second time to run as a Democratic state delegate.
“The role’s really important for the health of the local party,” he said. “A lot of people don’t even know that it exists.”
Anyone thinking about running in the May 5th primary has until noon February 6 to turn in their paperwork to the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration, 2293 N. Main St., Crown Point. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
