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News
Oswego police chief to challenge sheriff? : News : Oswego Ledger-Sentinel : Hometown Newspaper for Oswego and Montgomery, IllinoisOswego police chief to challenge sheriff?
| Campaign paperwork filed in Springfield
| by Tony Scott
| 3/7/2013
|
Oswego Police Chief Dwight Baird filed candidacy paperwork this week in Springfield for the 2014 Kendall County Sheriff's race.
He joins Plano Police Chief Steven Eaves in what would be a three-way Republican primary against incumbent Sheriff Richard Randall if the election were held today.
The "Baird for Sheriff" committee filed a D-1 Statement of Organization form with the State Board of Elections last Friday. The purpose of the committee, as stated on the form, is "to elect Dwight Baird as Kendall County Sheriff."
Baird is listed as his campaign chairman, and former Yorkville Police Chief Harold Martin is listed as his campaign treasurer on the form. Baird would run as a Republican, according to the D-1 form.
Baird said Monday that the filing is "far from a candidacy announcement."
"At this time, filing my D-1 candidacy is to simply keep my options open," he said. "It is still very early and far from a candidacy announcement. I promise when I make my decision you will be the first to know."
Baird began his career with the village as a patrol officer in 1992. Prior to that time he served as a deputy with the county sheriff's office. He was appointed police chief in 2003 upon the retirement of long-time Police Chief Robert Wunsch.
Baird holds degrees in criminal justice management and law enforcement justice administration and has completed two FBI management and executive development programs. He is also a 1986 graduate of Oswego High School.
Eaves, who told the Plano City Council last September that he was running for sheriff, said this week that he would also be running as a Republican in the March 2014 primary.
Eaves said he's been in Plano for 27 years, 24 of those as police chief. Eaves earned a master's degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from Western Illinois University and a bachelor's degree in law enforcement from Aurora University.
Eaves said he was one of those responsible for starting the Kendall County Chiefs of Police, KenCom, CPAT (Cooperative Police Assistance Team), the SRT (Special Response Team), and Major Crimes Task Force. He said he also wants to start a countywide gang force.
"A lot of people were asking me, why are you leaving Plano?" Eaves said. "And it's basically that, I've fulfilled a lot of my goals here and looking forward to a challenge at the county."
Asked if his running is a reflection on the job Randall has done as sheriff, Eaves said he is "going to run on my history here."
"I'm not looking to put Chief Baird down or Sheriff Randall at all," Eaves said. "I have some of my own ideas that really have nothing to do with them."
Randall: 'Planning on
running' for eighth term
For his part, Randall said Monday that he is "planning on running" for another term in office. He was elected to his seventh term in November 2010, fending off challenger Robert Lea.
Prior to the 2010 election, Randall alluded that he wasn't going to run for another term. Randall said he was "having too much fun" in October 2010 but said he was over the retirement age and would not seek another term in four years.
"My wife said this is the last one," he said at the time.
Randall said Monday that he had a discussion with Baird last year and that he told Baird his wife wouldn't want him to run again, but said that didn't mean that he definitely wasn't going to run for another term.
Randall, a former Yorkville police chief, was first elected sheriff in 1986. In his first bid at elected office, Randall, then 41, defeated incumbent Sheriff Charles McDonald and Plano Police Chief William Hines in a Republican primary, and went on to defeat independent candidate Joe Schuck in the November general election.
Reporter Matt Schury contributed to this report.
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