PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate release

Contact: Gayl Ferraro, Chair

Democratic Party of DuPage County

630-495-3969

Gabigayl2@aol.com

 

DuPage Democrats Select First Political Director for New Office

 

Gayl Ferraro, Chair of the Democratic Party of DuPage County, today announced that Rob Freedman, Democratic candidate for DuPage County’s Clerk of the Circuit Court in 2004, has been selected as Political Director, a paid consultant, who will staff the Democrats’ new offices at 1000 Rohlwing in Lombard and provide organization and coordination of the party’s growing election activities.

“Selecting Rob as our Political Director is all about growth,” said Ferraro. “We can no longer operate as an all-volunteer organization. We need to staff our office and provide the services that the swelling numbers of Democratic voters expect from their party.”

Westmont resident Rob Freedman, candidate for DuPage County’s Clerk of the Circuit Court, in 2004 proposed modernizing the Court’s technology to reduce traffic flow, improve customer service and save DuPage taxpayers and court-users money. 

“Rob is the ideal person for our Political Director position,” added Rob Bisceglie, First Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of DuPage County. “He has been a candidate and a volunteer and brings a sophisticated management style to our operations. He can handle just about any situation that arises, because he has been in the political trenches himself.”

And with new, contemporary offices at 1000 Rohlwing in Lombard, Rob has pledged to bring a high-tech approach to the 2008 campaign.

“In 2004 I proposed introducing an On-line E-File feature to the Court Clerk’s office that would allow attorneys and their staff to file from anywhere they have access to the internet,” said Freedman. “I plan on introducing a leaner and more advanced way of campaigning for our DuPage candidates, making better use of our databases for fundraising and recruitment and efficiently using volunteers, where they are needed most.”

As a gear-up to the November 2008 elections the Democratic Party of DuPage County is in the midst of its new “all-out” outreach campaign to recruit new precinct committeemen.

“Because we came within a frog’s hair of winning elections in the 2006, we are energized,” said Ferraro. “We analyzed what we needed to do to get over the hump in 2008 to win, and we realized the answer was simple. We need to work smarter and start earlier to build our organization. And, that means starting now with Rob as our Political Director and add more precinct committeemen, the most important job in the Democratic Party.”

Compared to the 1998 election when not one Democratic DuPage candidate exceeded 35% of the vote, and many were in the teen percentages, the November, 2006 elections in DuPage County showed Democrats with remarkable gains.

Tammy Duckworth came within a few points in a squeaker. Lisa Madigan garnered 65% of the vote, Don Harmon 61%, Linda Holmes 57%, Jesse White 55%, and Dan Hynes 49%.

Joe Shannon tallied 40% and Jon Laesch 39% for their Congressional races.

State Rep races showed Rob Bisceglie with 43%, Carol DiCola 37%, Kim Savage 37%, Dirk Enger 39% and Joe Vosicky came within 297 votes of winning.

Democratic County Board candidates collected between 40% and 46% with Liz Chaplin at 46%, Lynne Presley at 45%, Rita Gonzales and Richard Dunn at 44%  and Dan Bailey with 41%. Tom Grimston received 40% of the vote for Forest Preserve.

“DuPage Democrats are on the move,” Ferrraro concluded.

To find out more about the energy of The Democratic Party of DuPage County, call 630-629-1125, the email is info@dupagedemocrats.org and the web site is http://www.dupagedemocrats.org/ .

The headquarters of the Democratic Party of DuPage County is located at 1000 Rohlwing, unit 7, in the North Gate Mall on the northwest corner of North Avenue and Rohlwing in Lombard. The headquarters is in the middle of the south side of the mall and faces North Avenue.