Sangamon County Board Vacancy in District 25

Sangamon County Board Member George Preckwinkle has announced his retirement from the County Board after 17 years of dedicated service to District 25. 

A Springfield native, Preckwinkle is a graduate of Springfield High School, Southern Methodist University, and Southern Methodist University Law School. Preckwinkle remains the President of Ace Hardware, overseeing operations of a company employing about 250 people throughout Central Illinois.

With a strong business background, Preckwinkle served as Chair of the Finance Committee, maintaining a balanced budget and ensuring sound financial footing for Sangamon County. In addition to Chair of the Finance Committee, Preckwinkle served as a member of the Jail, OEM/911, and Rural Transportation Committees.

Reflecting on his time in office, Preckwinkle said, "Serving the people of District 25 has been an honor, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to the constituents for their support. I am also grateful to my colleagues for their fiscally responsible approach to government, which has been crucial in ensuring the future financial stability of Sangamon County."

Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter thanked Preckwinkle for his service, saying, “George's leadership and business acumen have left an indelible mark on Sangamon County. His dedication to fiscal responsibility and effective governance has set a high standard. During George’s tenure on the board, I don’t think we’ve spent a single dime that he didn’t check each side of the coin. We will miss his valuable contributions, and filling his shoes will be a challenging task. On behalf of the County Board, I extend our sincere appreciation for his years of service and wish him the very best."

The Sangamon County Board Office has begun accepting applications to fill the vacancy. The application period will close at 5:00 PM on Friday, February 2nd. The vacancy will be filled by appointment at the February 13th County Board meeting.

According to Illinois law, the Sangamon County Board Chair shall nominate someone to fill the position within 60 days of the vacancy with confirmation by the County Board. Applicants must be from the same political party as the previous officeholder, which for District 25 is the Republican Party. In addition, applicants must be registered to vote within the district and have resided in Sangamon County for at least one year prior to the appointment. A link to the boundary map for District 25 is located on the home page of the County's website, SangamonIL.gov, under the news section.

All individuals who meet the above criteria are encouraged to submit their resume, letter of interest, and any other supporting material they wish to include (such as letters of recommendation) via email to County@SangamonIL.Gov or delivered to the Sangamon County Board Office, temporarily located in the Sangamon South Building, 300 S 9th St Floor #2, Springfield IL, 62701 (Former State Journal-Register Building).

Application reviews and candidate interviews will occur from February 5th to February 8th. The successor will serve the remainder of the term, ending December 2024.

MAP: https://sangamondepartments.blob.core.windows.net/dnnfiles/Clerk/Elections/Information/documents/CB_Dist-25.pdf