Incumbent Lake County Commission Chair Leslie Campione, representing District 4, is running for a fifth term against challenger David Williamson in the Republican primary.
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The owner of her own law firm, Campione was first elected to the Board of County Commissioners in 2010 and was unanimously selected by her colleagues to serve as Commission Chair in 2018. Choosing to run as a write-in candidate after lone challenger Eric Lomberk failed to qualify, she was elected to her fourth term in August 2022.
Running to unseat Campione, challenger David Williamson is a U.S. Coast Guard Certified Captain and owner of the WiDa Outdoors bait and tackle shop in Astor.
Campione said her campaign was focused on protecting rural lands from being annexed into cities for rural subdivisions and stopping activities that could ruin water quality or override property rights.
Campione supports re-prioritizing and accelerating infrastructure projects and relieving congestion on county roads, especially arterial and collector road projects, by pushing the state to replace outdated funding formulas.
Williamson is running a campaign centered on growth management and said he would work to limit projects seeking re-zoning to allow for a higher density or require further development than initially proposed.
“We’ve got to stop re-zoning all of our rural land, all of our agricultural land and all of our green spaces,” Williamson said. “Just because there’s a 100-by-100 lot on a corner doesn’t mean we have to develop it.”
Campione identified herself as a “strong advocate” for water quality and environmental protection by promoting water quality measures during her time as commissioner.
Williamson said protection of county waterways is a major pillar of his campaign, highlighting the dangers of chemical sprays meant to control plants that end up damaging the ecosystem.
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“Look at the drought we’ve had,” he said. “When you get low on water [and] you’re polluting the same water you’re getting low on, you’re asking for devastation.”
Responding to a questionnaire, Campione said she deserves to be re-elected for her role in putting Lake County residents first by fighting back against tax increases and growth measures that negatively impact their quality of life.
“Locally, we have to be constantly looking for ways to deliver essential services in the most efficient way possible to keep local government costs down,” she said. “Focusing on getting homeowners’ insurance premiums lowered through immediate measures — versus the usual ‘this will cause the rates to come down’ type measures — would be the most impactful way to address affordability.”
A staunch supporter of term limits, Williamson has pledged to serve no more than two terms if elected and said he will donate a minimum 25% of his salary to local charity organizations and first responders.
According to the Lake County Supervisor of Elections, Campione has received $152,881 in monetary contributions.
According to the Lake County Supervisor of Elections, Williamson has received $11,125 in monetary contributions.
The winner of the Republican primary between Campione and Williamson will go on to face Democrat Egor Emery and write-in candidates Vance Jochim and Tommie Powers in November.
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Contact me at [email protected] or (407)-754-4980.