Secretary of State Jesse White on Tuesday tried to fend off suggestions by his opponents he has been in office too long, as the 84-year-old Democrat seeks a record sixth term running one of Illinois’ most massive offices.
White has twice said he would not seek another term in office, only to change his mind. He said he was convinced by supporters to seek re-election, but he again on Tuesday promised that his next term would be his last.
At a meeting before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Republican candidate and Grundy County State’s Attorney Jason Helland countered by calling White “the term-limit king.”
“He didn’t want to run in 2014. He didn’t want to run in 2018. I think it’s time to retire Jesse White,” Helland, of Mazon, said.
Asked if he had an issue with White’s age, Helland replied: “Absolutely,” adding White’s “not capable” of continuing serving until his term would end in January 2023.
White, well-known for the Chicago tumbling team that bears his name, later replied: “By the way, I think I’m in better shape than this gentleman.”
Libertarian candidate Steve Dutner, of, Elgin called Helland’s comments a “form of ageism.”
“My issue is the amount of time he’s been in office,” Dutner said.
White, the state’s longest-serving secretary of state, was first elected to the office in 1998 amid the licenses-for-bribes scandal that eventually resulted in his predecessor and the former governor, George Ryan, serving federal prison time.
His decision to run again prevented political jockeying for the seat within the Democratic Party, as others could have looked to move up to the high-profile office. And his popularity also could help boost other Democrats at the polls. White has consistently received the most Democratic votes statewide, often winning even Republican strongholds such as DuPage County.
A relative unknown statewide, Helland entered the race’s stretch run with about $52,000 in his campaign fund at the end of June, compared with about $900,000 for White.
At the Tribune Editorial Board, Helland criticized White for backing Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker because he supports legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, which Helland said could lead to traffic safety problems.
Asked his position on legalizing recreational use of marijuana, White said his office is looking into the issue, but said “I don’t have a position just yet.”
Helland said White’s office shouldn’t have charged Illinois drivers late fees when it stopped mailing renewal reminder notices during the state’s historic budget impasse.
And Helland attacked White for his backing of Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios, who lost his primary bid for re-election in March.
Berrios came under fire after publication of “The Tax Divide,” a series by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois that found assessments under Berrios shifted an outsize portion of the property tax burden from the wealthy to the poor, with minority communities being hit particularly hard.
White said he and Berrios have been friends for decades. “It was kind of hard for me to turn my back on him,” White said.
The secretary of state’s office is responsible for handling driver’s licenses, vehicle stickers and a wide swath of state government services and paperwork, including lobbyist registration, the state archives and the Capitol Complex in Springfield. The job pays $156,541 per year.
Tuesday’s meeting before the Tribune Editorial Board was a session for the candidates to make their pitches for the newspaper’s endorsement. The board operates independently from the newsroom.
Twitter @mikeriopell
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