Frankfort Township Republican Organization Fundraiser - June 21st, 2012

Get your tickets for the Frankfort Township Republican Organization (FTRO) fundraiser set for June 21st at the Mokena VFW Hall, 19852 Wolf Road, Mokena. Tickets are $35 per person/$60 per couple. The event features dinner with a cash bar and live music by the Dave Molinari Band

Tickets may be purchased by emailing us at frankfort13threpubs@gmail.com. In the email, give us your name and telephone and we will deliver your ticket(s) to your door.

This fundraiser provides funding for our primary purpose as a Republican organization in Will County: to get out the vote for conservative candidates. These are the candidates that represent us locally and at the state and national levels. Over the past several years, the FTRO has been very successful in slating and electing conservative Republicans to local offices. With the new redistricting, the effort to get out the vote becomes even more crucial as we fight entrenched Chicago Machine candidates on the local ballot like Congressman Bobby Rush.

Rush, a convicted criminal and former Defense Minister for the Black Panther street gang, has overseen substantial population losses from his old congressional district over the past decade. However, despite this loss of population, a direct result of failed Democrat policies - the Democrats instead saved his district for him by grabbing enough suburban Will County voters to meet district population requirements. The Cook County Democrats hope is that Will and Cook County Republicans will be unable to overcome the number of Democrat voters in Chicago due to Republican voter apathy and discouragement.

By supporting our fundraiser, you support our effort to register new Republican voters and our Get Out The Vote campaign for this November. We have the numbers if we can educate enough voters on the failed policies of the Democrats and their apparent willingness to borrow and spend our state and country into oblivion. The recent results from Wisconsin suggest that it can be done even in a blue state. By buying a fundraiser ticket, you are saying "YES" to the election of conservatives who will say “NO” to tax increases and who will seek conservative solutions to our many problems in Illinois and at the national level.

We also use funds from our annual event to provide scholarships to local high school students going on to college. Recent winners were Bridgette Waldier from Lincolnway East High School and Samantha Lullo from Lincolnway North High School.

If attending the fundraiser doesn't pique your interest we are also accepting sponsorships.  Sponsorships are: Platinum at $1,000, Gold at $500, Silver at $250 and Copper at $200. Donors giving $200 or more will have their name listed on the front page of the FTRO website for the next eleven months: www.frankfortrepublicans.org. Please mail your sponsorship checks to:

Frankfort Township

Republican Organization

20821 Briarwood Lane

Mokena, Illinois  60448

Edgar Montalvo for Illinois State Senate 19th District

Edgar Montalvo, Iraq War veteran, retired army colonel with over 30 years of service and a small business owner, is running for Illinois State Senate in the 19th District. Edgar needs upwards of 2,000 valid petition signatures to ensure he is on the November ballot.

Our 13th Precinct lies in the middle of the 19th District. As a supporter of Edgar's candidacy I am collecting nominating petition signatures to help get him on the November ballot. I plan to knock on doors over the next two weeks to collect as many signatures as I can from the 13th precinct.

To sign the petition you must be a registered voter who resides in the 19th District (a distinction that Edgar's Democrat opponent does not currently hold) and did not vote in the Democrat primary this past March 20th.

In case I missed you during my rounds through the precinct and you want to sign the petition, I will be more than glad to come by and get your signature. To request to sign the petition simply send me an email at: frankfort13threpubs@gmail.com In the email, provide your name and address and a time that you will be home so I can drop by and retrieve your signature.

We need people like Edgar who are willing to stand up and run against the out of control Democrat machine in Cook County that has made such a mess of our state. To show your support for his kind of fiscal conservatism and common sense governance a petition signature is a way to do it.

To learn more about Edgar Montalvo's position on the issues facing our state, I urge you to visit his web site at: www.montalvo2012.com or his facebook page. You can also read from Edgar's current campaign brochure, which is included on this blog post.

A copy of the 19th Senate District map is also attached.

The Frankfort Township Republican Organization Chairman, Ed Ronkowski produced this information this morning concerning the 16th Congressional District (new district) race between Manzullo and Kinzinger:

Manzullo has received much higher conservative ratings than Kinzinger from national organizations that studied 2011 votes, including:

1. American Conservative Union lifetime scores: Manzullo 95.5 (#1 in Illinois), Kinzinger 72.
2. Club for Growth: Manzullo 85, Kinzinger 56.
3. Heritage Action for America: Manzullo 84, Kinzinger 63.
4. Americans for Prosperity: Manzullo A+, Kinzinger B.
5. National Journal (conservative composite score): Manzullo 74, Kinzinger 58.6

Manzullo has been endorsed by every conservative organization that has given an endorsement in the race, including:

1. Illinois Tea Party
2. RedState Editor and CNN political contributor Erick Erickson
3. Family-PAC federal
4. Eagle Forum of Illinois
5. Illinois Federation for Right to Life PAC
6. Illinois Citizens for Life federal PAC
7. Illinois Conservatives (4,000 conservatives across Illinois under 35 years old)
8. The Madison Project (national pro-life, pro-family group)

We are not in the 16th congressional district, but if you know any Republicans who live there you might want to share this information with them to help them when they decide to vote. A map of the new 16th congressional district can be found here:

The ballot for the upcoming March 20, 2012 primary is available. This blog post is intended to provide some information about the candidates along with some commentary and endorsements from yours truly.


In this primary election, we will be selecting the Republican candidates for:

• US President and Presidential Delegates
• US House of Representatives
• Illinois General Assembly
• Will County Circuit Clerk
• Will County Recorder of Deeds
• Will County States Attorney
• Will County Auditor
• Will County Chief Executive Officer
• Will County Board

Additionally a proposition is on the ballot to allow the Village of Mokena the authority to arrange for a different supplier of electricity.

Candidates for U.S. President:

There are six names on the ballot, but only four of the six are still in the race (as of today, we'll see after the Super Tuesday elections on March 6th). The remaining candidates are: Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. Out of these, my personal favorite remains Mr. Gingrich, mainly for his willingness to stand and fight the left. My safe second choice though remains Mr. Romney, whom I believe would make a good President because of his managerial skills.  However, I could live with any of them, even Ron Paul, because his foreign policy is roughly equivalent to the one in office now, so there would be no change to that facet of the office if he was elected. There are three delegates for each of these four candidates on the ballot. It makes sense if you select one of the candidates you would also select their assigned delegates.

Candidates for U.S. House - 1st District:

Three candidates are running in the newly redistricted 1st District. Bobby Rush (Democrat, former Black Panther and unrepentant domestic terrorist) currently holds the seat. The three candidates are:

Frederick Collins, Donald E. Peloquin and Jimmy Lee Tillman, II. Tillman is the son of wide-brimmed-hat-wearing and pistol-waving Dorothy Tillman, the controversial and racist former Chicago Alderperson. So barring his certain entertainment value should he win, Tillman's candidacy should be a non-starter for most 13th Precinct Republicans. Mr. Collins, a Chicago Police Officer, has the endorsement of the Will County TEA Party Alliance, the Illinois Center Right Coalition, Young Conservatives of America and others. His website contains several thoughtful and informed positions on the issues, his only drawback being he resides in Chicago (he has to for his employment). Mr. Peloquin, the current Mayor of Blue Island, is endorsed by the Chicago Tribune (it is debatable if that is a good thing). His positions on "infrastructure" spending puts him in the same league as Cong. Lipinski on Chicago's south side, and even President Obama, making one wonder if he really would be a good representative for Will County, since he is a long time Cook County politician.

Illinois General Assembly:

Renee Kosel is running unopposed in the Primary for the 37th General Assembly District. She has been a consistent conservative vote in the General Assembly and represents her constituents well.

Will County Circuit Clerk:

Marlene Carlson is running unopposed in the March 20th primary. She is an excellent candidate for this position and will bring modernity to the circuit court information systems if elected.

Will County Recorder of Deeds:

Laurie McPhillips  is running unopposed in the March 20th primary. Having previously held the office between 2004 and 2008, she was able to make substantial strides toward modernizing the Recorder of Deeds office, including updating a 14 year old computer system into a state of the art system.

Will County States Attorney:

Dave Carlson  is running unopposed in the March 20th primary. Mr. Carlson is a partner at Carlson, Zelazo & O'Dekirk, LLC, a Joliet law firm. Mr. Carlson was an assistant prosecutor in the Will County State's Attorney's Office.  If elected in November, he promises to immediately launch three major initiatives: Assisting veterans who are either victims of crime or who run afoul of the law; combating Will County's growing heroin problem; and bringing a new perspective to the battle against domestic violence.

Will County Auditor:

Mark Batinick is running unopposed in the March 20th primary. 

Will County Coroner:

Charles Lyons is running unopposed in the March 20th primary. A passionate speaker, who starts his speeches with "I'm the last person anyone wants to see," Mr. Lyons wants to return hard work, ethics and professionalism to the Coroner's office. He points to the Drew Peterson fiasco as a prime example of why change is needed in the Will County Coroners office. 

Will County Chief Executive Officer:

Cory Singer is running unopposed in the March 20th primary.  Mr. Singer has a wide range of government experience as a Will County Board Member, Will County Forest Preserve District member and chief of staff to U.S. Congressman Jerry Weller.


Will County Board:


Four names are on the 13th Precinct ballot for the Will County Board 12th District. They are: Margo McDermed, Tom Weigel, Raymond Tuminello and Chris Kosel.  Ms. McDermed is the only candidate for Will County Board that is a resident of Mokena on either the Republican or Democrat side. She has the endorsement of the Frankfort Township Republican Organization and she deserves your vote. The remaining three persons all reside in New Lenox. Of these remaining three, Tom Weigel is a long time and hard working member of the Will County Board and would be a good choice for your second vote.


Mokena Electricity Proposition:


This proposition informs the Village Board if Mokena residents wish to have the Village seek proposals from alternative power suppliers on behalf of Mokena residents and businesses. Other communities that have adopted these types of arrangements have seen their electricity bills reduced. This proposition is a pretty good idea and should be passed. For more information,  please visit the Mokena web page set up to discuss the proposition.

To all 13th Precinct Republicans and Independents:


Please join us Thursday March 8th at 7:00 pm as we host a meet and greet for Margo McDermed, Republican candidate for Will County Board. Light refreshments will be served.


Margo is the only candidate on the ballot representing Mokena in the upcoming primary election.


The place: 


The Swale residence
20004 Everett Lane
Mokena


To RSVP and for directions, please email us at frankfort13threpubs@gmail.com 

Candidate Profiles - Will County Board District 12

On Tuesday March 20th, four Republican candidates will be on the 13th Precinct Republican ballots for Will County Board. Of the four candidates running, three live in New Lenox and one lives in Mokena. Voters are to select two of the four for placement on the general election ballot on November 6th. The four candidates in order of their ballot positions are:

1. Margo McDermed - Mokena
2. Tom Weigel - New Lenox
3. Raymond Tuminello - New Lenox
4. Chris Kosel - New Lenox

The first candidate, Margo McDermed, is a 33 year resident of Mokena. She lives in Mokena with her husband Ed Ronkowski. Margo is a life long Republican and currently serves as Clerk of Frankfort Township.

Margo is a personal friend of mine and a member of my church, Grace Episcopal Church in New Lenox. I know her to have a strong character and to be a staunch conservative (her cat incidentally is name Reagan).  She is a fine pistol shot and believes strongly in our 2nd Amendment rights.

Having served with her on our church board, I know her to be very responsible with other peoples' money. She knows how to prioritize budgets for the good of the community she serves. She is level headed, even keeled, highly intelligent and very experienced in matters of governance.

In addition to all of these other positive qualities, 13th Precinct voters should know that Margo is the only candidate on the ballot for Will County Board representing Mokena. She is the only voice out of 60 candidates running for Will County Board that would represent the interests of Mokena.

Margo has also been overwhelmingly endorsed by the Frankfort Township Republican Organization. None of the other candidates running for Will County Board District 12  received an endorsement from the Frankfort Township Republican Organization.

While the other candidates are all fine citizens and would make excellent County Board members, they all live in and support New Lenox. In the interests of having a competent and strong voice on the Will County Board for Mokena, I urge all 13th Precinct Republican voters to make Margo your top choice when you vote March 20th.

To learn more about Margo, I urge you to visit her web site at: margoforwillcounty.com

I also plan to hold a neighborhood coffee for Margo in the coming weeks to introduce her to our fellow 13th Precinct Republicans. Look for notices on this web site.

Welcome to Frankfort Township 13th Precinct Republicans Blog Spot!

Map Showing Will County Illinois, Frankfort Township, 13th Precinct (in pink)

Allow me to introduce myself to my fellow Will County, Frankfort Township, 13th Precinct Republican and Republican leaning voters. My name is Robert (Bob) Swale. I have lived in Will County and in Frankfort Township  now for nearly 22 years. My wife Linda and I moved to Frankfort Square in 1990 and moved to our present location in Mokena in 2008. We have two daughters, both now in college and a 12-year-old springer spaniel named Reagan (after the great Republican President Ronald Reagan).


I first became a staunch Republican in 1994 following the election of Bill Clinton and the beginning of his Administration's attempt to regulate my hunting firearms. His passing of the Brady Bill and assault weapons bans were bad enough, but the reaction of major left leaning organizations and members of his administration to the successful passing of this legislation, by calling for more bans and punitive regulations, cemented my commitment to the Republican party, which was and remains to this day a decidedly pro-gun and pro-freedom party.


In October of last year I was asked by my friend Ed Ronkowski, Chairman of the Frankfort Township Republican Organization, to run for precinct committeeman for Frankfort Township's 13th Precinct. I obtained the necessary signatures and am now on the ballet to be your 13th Precinct Republican Committeeman.


So what do Precinct Committeemen do exactly? Officially, they vote for the County Chairman of our respective party.  In cases of unexpected office vacancies, committeemen may be asked to vote to appoint a replacement to the vacant post.  Most importantly, precinct committeemen get to know their precinct and the voters who live there, educate voters on candidates for office and get out the vote on election days.

Now that introductions and background are done, let me fill you in on the purpose of this blog. My plans are to use this blog as a means to communicate information about Republican candidates for local, State and Federal office to the voters of the 13th Precinct. I believe it is especially critical to provide information to voters on local candidates, since many people (myself  included) sometimes have no idea who they are voting for when they step into the voting booth.


My goal will be to provide as much information as I can on the background and positions of local candidates, so that voters can make informed choices and we can select the best people for elected office. In the coming weeks, up to the March 20th primary, I will provide you with all the information I know on all of the Republican party's candidates on the March 20th primary ballot.


To best communicate the information, I will post details about candidates on this blog spot and connect this blog to Twitter and Facebook. 


To get instant access to blog entries when they are posted, follow us on Twitter @frankfort13thre or, "like" us on Facebook to get updates from this blog on your Facebook newsfeed.

If you have neither a Twitter or Facebook account, sign up for our email list by sending a request to our email address at: frankfort13threpubs@gmail.com or use the "subscribe by email" or "follow" links on this page. Alternatively, if you have a mobile phone with text messaging and web capability, you can receive text messages from this blog by sending the following text to 40404: ' follow frankfort13thre ' (no quotes needed in the text message).