Several fresh faces and a few familiar names are filling some of the holes on the November ballot for DuPage County Democrats.DuPage Democrat Chairman Bob Peickert said 10 new candidates will file for various offices by the end of the day Monday. Some already have.   <>Perhaps the most recognizable name in the lot is Villa Park Trustee Tom Cullerton, who will square off against Itasca Republican Carole Pankau for her state Senate seat. "We talked to every one of the new candidates," Peickert said. "Everybody was in agreement that this was the best thing to do." County Republican                             Chairman Dan Cronin, a state senator from Elmhurst, was surprised to see Cullerton file as a Democrat.
"Cullerton's been a Republican for years," Cronin said. "He and I sat down and he asked to be more involved in the Republican Party with me. He's a guy who's a little bit confused, I would say."   Cullerton dismissed Cronin's assessment.
"Dan Cronin can say what he wants to say," Cullerton said.   Peickert said he wouldn't be bothered by any of the candidates' ties to the GOP. "Even Cronin said there were Republicans who pulled Democratic ballots in the last primary," he said, "although we disagree on the reason."
        In addition to the new state Senate race, Bloomingdale Republican Franco Coladipietro will now face Roselle resident Jim Hagerty for 45th District state representative's seat. Republican DuPage County Board member Michael Connelly will duke it out with Woodridge resident Joseph Heneghan in the 48th District state representative race.   <>Cullerton, Heneghan and Hagerty all filed their candidacy papers with the state this week.
        Officials at the DuPage County Election Commission said Roselle's Stan Jagla filed to run for the circuit court clerk; David Meek, of Westmont, filed to run for county recorder of deeds; Wheaton resident Dan Bailey filed to run for a District 4 seat on the county board; and Steve Paglia, of Naperville, will seek the District 5 seat on the county forest preserve board.             
        Meek said he wants to be part of a wholesale change of government in the county. "I think a new broom would sweep cleaner," he said. "I want to get in there and take a look at what they have and see if I can improve it."   Democrats will also have the advantage of being atop the ballot in each race in November, something most experts say is usually good for several extra votes. But because of the wide interest in the presidential race this year, voters likely will be better informed heading into the booths. Peickert said three more Democrats are expected to file campaign paperwork for county races by 4:30 p.m. Monday. He said residents are fed up with the "Republican way of life" in the county and the county's finances were one of the reasons so many Democrats are seeking office in the Nov. 4 election.  

He also cited buzz of the Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama Democratic presidential nomination race as another reason Democrats are becoming fashionable in the county.
        Cronin said it's odd that none of the new candidates ran for office in the primary the way Republicans did. "If you can show up at a union hall and get your name on a ballot, I guess it's a lot easier," he said. "It's less democratic than doing it the hard way. They're picking people who have an ax to grind."    Green candidates have also filed in some local state races Friday.

Aurora resident Gerard Schmitt filed to run against incumbent state Rep. Michael Fortner, a West Chicago Republican, in the 95th District race. There is no Democratic challenger in that race.    

Jennifer Witt filed to run against Republican Darlene Senger and Democrat Dianne McGuire in the 96th state House race to replace Republican Joe Dunn.