* Politico last month…

Still, a few Republicans are looking to get in the ring. Ted Dabrowski and Aaron Del Mar are testing the waters, speaking with GOP insiders and potential donors about mounting campaigns. They would face DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, who’s already jumped in, and Joseph Severino who’s posted in social media that he’s running, too.

* Dabrowski on WMBD yesterday…

Reporter: One of the biggest issues that is constantly talked about but never really finds a solution in the state capital is pensions. And you know, we’re hitting certain fiscal cliffs, we need to fund it to a certain amount. Do you have any kind of solution if you were to become governor? Any solution to pensions?

Debrwoski: I mean, look, there’s a whole—pensions are hurting property taxes. They’re hurting our cities. Our cities are not able to fund them anymore, so they’re cutting services, right? We don’t want to get to the point where we’re cutting police and fire because we’re trying to pay pensions, but that’s happening. So I think the first thing we need to do is for new workers, it’s constitutional, it’s allowed we go to 401K’s, like everybody in the private sector has…We could do that without any problems. And then we have to work on, how do we reduce the debt from existing pensions?

[From Rich: “Certain fiscal cliffs”? The reporter appears to be confusing mass transit funding with pension funding. Also, if you switch new hires to 401K programs, you have no new employee pension contributions. And considering that it won’t be all that long before most of the Tier One recipients have passed on, and that Tier Two recipients more than pay for themselves, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.]

* Champaign County Auditor George Danos has officially filed for Illinois Comptroller. The News-Gazette last month…

Although Danos will be looking for an endorsement from the party power-brokers, he declined to say whether he will run if he does not get it.

Danos said he’s taking it “one step at a time.”

He also said he’s not intimidated by the fact that he’d be running in all of Illinois’ 102 counties, rather than just one, or that a bid would require a significant financial effort.

“I don’t bow before money,” he said.

* A little background on Danos…

After a push to get rid of the Champaign County auditor, residents voted to keep the position.

This comes after many were disappointed in the current auditor’s performance who is now staying in that position. […]

This comes after county officials claim he was late on his audits, and that because of it the county is now on hold when it comes to receiving state grant funds. […]

Danos claims that the reason the audit for this year was not done on time was because he is doing the job of both an auditor and a chief deputy due to a vacancy and there is no trend of audits being late.

[From Rich: Maybe hire somebody?]

* Woodford County Coroner Tim Ruestman is running for Rep. Dennis Tipsword’s seat. 25News Now…

Ruestman has been coroner for more than 30 years. He’s also chair of the Woodford County Republican Party.

If elected, Ruestman told 25News he’ll give up his position as party chair and as coroner. During his time as state representative, Tipsword continued to serve as chief deputy of the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office.

Ruestman said he would continue to serve as a precinct committeeman. […]

“With Representative Dennis Tipsword not seeking reelection, I believe our district needs a steady, local voice in Springfield—someone who understands the needs of our rural communities, supports law enforcement, and defends conservative values,” Ruestman also said.

He listed several priorities including protecting farmland, promoting small business growth, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and keeping communities safe through strong public safety support.

* ILGOP…

MEDIA ADVISORY: Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair
CHICAGO — Thursday, August 14, is Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair. The day will kick off with a joint meeting between the Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee and the Republican County Chair’s Association followed by speakers at the State Fairgrounds. These events are both open to the media. Please RSVP to Press@illinois.gop to attend the State Central Committee meeting by noon on August 13th.
Speakers at the State Fair include FOX News Analyst Gianno Caldwell, ILGOP Chair Kathy Salvi, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, and Senate Republican Leader John Curran.

Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee and County Chair’s Association Joint Meeting

Thursday, August 14th - meeting will begin at 8:30 AM CT

BOS Center

1 Convention Ctr Plz

Springfield, IL 62701

Republican Day at the State Fair

Thursday, August 14th - Doors will open at 11:30 AM CT, Program begins at 12 PM CT

Director’s Lawn at the Illinois State Fair

801 E Sangamon Ave

Springfield, IL 62702

…Adding… Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton…

Today former Secretary of State Jesse White and former Congressman Reverend Bobby Rush will endorse Juliana Stratton in her bid for U.S. Senate.

Secretary White made history as the first Black Secretary of State for Illinois and served for a record-breaking six terms. He is a giant in Illinois politics, known for his mentorship of thousands of young people across the state and his embodiment of honor and excellence in public service.

Reverend Rush’s legacy of service includes being a co-founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, 30 years as a Congressman, and championing initiatives to improve the lives of underserved communities, including improving healthcare access for Black Americans, fighting for higher education access, youth employment and mentorship, and ensuring the passage of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act.