KENDALL COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) — A historic election could be on the way in the state’s fastest growing county.
Kendall County could elect its first African-American district committee member.
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Candidates running for district committee seats say it’s hard to be the first at anything, but they say it’s a necessary step to add a diverse perspective that has long been missing in Kendall County.
Jamal Williams is running as a District 1 candidate for Kendall County Commission.
If Williams or Savena Joyner wins, they will be the first African-Americans to hold a district committee seat in the county.
“In 2024, we’re still experiencing Black firsts, which means we have a lot of work to do,” said Joyner, who is running from the 2nd District.
Part of that effort was accomplished when Williams became the first city in the nation to make Juneteenth an official city holiday in Plano, but he said winning a seat on the board will open the door to even more.
“We talk about things and then we act,” Williams said.
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“Having Kamala on the list has opened minds and made people think about the possibilities for African-Americans in politics,” Joyner said.
Even competitors understand that Kendall County has missed an opportunity to include different perspectives.
“This was the first year that we’ve had a public discussion about Pride Month and the first year that we’ve had a discussion about having the first African-American on the board,” Kendall County District 2 board member Zach Bachmann said.
“If you move into town and not everyone running everything is like you, obviously you’re going to feel uncomfortable, so we want the Kendall County Council and other government agencies to truly represent what Kendall County is like,” said Kendall County Council District 1 candidate Ben Schimt.
County District 2 Commission candidate Zach Turnbow said of Williams and Joyner, “I’ve never met two people who are a better fit for our community.”
Some say the historic election sends a strong message.
“Not only is our county a growing county, it’s an evolving county,” said Todd Milliron, candidate for Kendall County Council District 1.
ABC7 Chicago reached out to all of the candidates running for the District Commission seats, including Diane Selmer, Dan Kukol, Brian DeBolt, Scott Gengler and Seth Wormley, but they either declined to comment or did not respond.
But no matter who is elected to the five district committee seats in the November election, the candidates said they all need to make their voices heard.
“We’re really going to turn this around. Just vote, just vote,” Schimto said.
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