Longtime Aurora, SC school board members announce state Senate runs

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Mug of Rick Slocum, candidate for 25th State Senate District.

Updated: October 14, 2011 11:12AM

Two Fox Valley residents who have served on local school boards announced their intentions Wednesday to run for the 25th State Senate District seat currently held by Sen. Chris Lauzen.

In separate announcements, attorney and former West Aurora School Board President Richard Slocum, a Republican, and St. Charles School Board member Corinne Pierog, a Democrat, both said they are running in the March 2012 primaries.

Slocum is the third Republican in the race. Businessman Jim Oberweis and Blackberry Township Supervisor Dave Richmond have already announced they intend to run for in the Republican primary. Pierog is the first Democrat to announce in the newly shaped district.

Lauzen, an Aurora Republican who has represented the district for almost 20 years, is running for Kane County Board chairman.

The 25th District includes most of Bristol, Sugar Grove, Blackberry, Geneva and Batavia townships in Kane and Kendall counties. The district follows Route 47 from Yorkville to St. Charles on its western half. In general, the eastern half of the district covers most of the area between Route 31 and Route 59, between Elgin and Interstate 88.

Slocum, 60, lives in Sugar Grove. He was on the West Aurora School Board from 1991 through 2007 and served as the board president his last four years.

An Aurora area resident for more than 30 years, Slocum received his undergraduate degree from Western Illinois University and law degree from Drake University in Iowa.

Slocum practices family, estate, business and real estate law as a partner at Dreyer, Foote, Streit, Furgason and Slocum in Aurora. He is married with three adult children.

Slocum said the biggest challenge in the 25th District is creating an environment where the government is a positive force for employment.

“The most important issue in the 25th remains jobs and how to develop job opportunities,” he said.

Slocum will formally announce his campaign at 6 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Mill Creek Golf Club in Geneva. Slocum’s campaign website is www.slocumforsenate.com.

Leadership experience

Pierog, 59, lives in St. Charles. She said she decided to run for the state Senate to reinvigorate the middle class.

“Illinois has to be a much better steward of the taxpayers’ dollars,” she said. “My past experience working as a consultant in the non-profit sector and my service on the School Board has also shown me how to stretch every penny to maximize our resources without jeopardizing services.”

Pierog received her MBA from Roosevelt University in Chicago another master’s degree from San Francisco University. She is the owner of Sustainable Leadership Solutions, a consulting company specializing in leadership development.

A member of the St. Charles School Board since 2009, Pierog is married with three adult children.

Her campaign website is www.ElectCorinnePierog.com.