By David Garbe
Beacon News, staff writer
2/27/06

AURORA--Local Democrats celebrated their expanding power at the Kane County Democratic Party's annual Harry Truman dinner on Sunday and saluted the architect of that expansion, party chairman Mark Guethle, with the evening's top honor.

"I know for a fact there is no county chairman who works harder than Mark Guethle," said Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, just before Guethle was presented with the Harry S. Truman award during the dinner at Walter Payton's Roundhouse in Aurora.

A half-dozen Democratic office-holders spoke in praise of Guethle at the dinner, citing the significant gains the party has seen in a county where it barely existed only a few years ago.

That growth has been at least partly the result of Guethle's aggressive organizing, they said, putting party workers out on the streets to support Democratic candidates in everything from township contests to statewide races.

The result has been strong performances by Democrats at all levels, particularly in Aurora, where 57 percent of the 2004 presidential vote wen to John Kerry and the relatively unknown Ruben Zamora won almost as many votes as U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert last year.

In local races, the city has given victories to several Democratic County Board members and State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, who credited Guethle Sunday night with much of her success in becoming the first Democrat elected to her office in 25 years.

Since taking the party chairmanship in 2002, Guethle has raised more than $160,000 in local money for Democrats and quadrupled (to 180) the number of active Democratic precinct committeemen in the county.

"In years past, it was a serious act of courage to run" in historically Republican areas like Kane County, Hynes told the crowd of hundreds at the dinner. "But we have made so many gains in the collar counties ... and we will continue to make gains."

In accepting the award to multiple standing ovations, Guethle praised local candidates for giving the party serious people who could actually win swing votes.

He said he expects this year's slate of Democratic candidates to continue that trend, with the 18 candidates running for office throughout the county, several of them vying for high-profile positions that have been held by the GOP for decades.

Those Democratic contenders include Auroran Frank Craig, who is challenging Republican State Sen. Chris Lauzen in the 25th District (West Aurora and Sugar Grove); and Auroran Linda Holmes, a Kane County Board member who is facing Republican Will County board member Terri Wintermute in a race for the state Senate seat being vacated by Ed Petka.

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