Kankakee County Board Chairman Andy Wheeler, pictured with his wife, won't be running for re-election this year. | Facebook
Kankakee County Board Chairman Andy Wheeler, pictured with his wife, won't be running for re-election this year. | Facebook
Kankakee County Board Chairman Andy Wheeler recently announced that he won't be seeking re-election this year, with his tenure ending after eight years on the board.
Wheeler has represented County Board District 15 since 2012, but didn't chair the board until 2016, the Daily Journal reported on Aug. 11. He will not be on the Nov. 3 election ballot but did indicate that he might be looking to run in next spring's Kankakee mayoral race.
Kankakee 6th Ward Ald. Chris Curtis is presently the only Republican candidate who has announced he will be running for mayor in the spring.
Kankakee 6th Ward Ald. Chris Curtis
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“It’s something I’m looking at,” Wheeler told the Daily Journal. “I’m not saying I will run or I won’t. But I’m concerned about the dysfunction at City Hall.”
During the March 2016 election, Wheeler took Mike Bossert's position as the county board chairman. A new chairman will be selected after the new board members are seated after November.
Todd Sirois is currently the vice chairman and represents the St. Anne area of District 3. The board has a Republican majority, which makes it a strong possibility that the new chairman will also be a Republican.
Wheeler announced his decision not to seek the chairman's seat to the board last Monday. Democrat Kimberly Hudson was a candidate for chairman, running against Wheeler this year. Hudson is a former Bishop McNamara Catholic High School teacher and serves as vice president on the Kankakee County Community Services, Inc., board.
Hudson has never run for an elected office before this year, the Daily Journal reported.
“You can fight all you want, but I looked at this from so many different angles and there is no path to victory for me,” Wheeler told the newspaper. “I can find no evidence anywhere where there is victory. There are more important things to tackle.”
Wheeler accomplished several things during his time on the board, including eliminating debt, improving bond ratings and opening board meetings to the public. While he hoped to accomplish more, he said not all things turn out the way we want.
“This day came quicker than I would have hoped,” he told the Daily Journal.
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