Group McConnaughay founded  endorses her foe in 33rd Dist. race

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Cliff Surges, Republican, Gilberts. Surges started his own insurance agency. He served two terms on the Gilberts Village Board. Running for State Senate, 33rd District

Updated: March 18, 2012 8:12AM

Fresh off the heels of being endorsed by U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, state Senate candidate Karen McConnaughay has learned she has lost the support of a group she helped found.

But McConnaughay said she is not fazed by the decision of the grass-roots organization Stop Taking Our Property to endorse her opponent, former Gilberts village trustee Cliff Surges, for the GOP nomination in the newly formed 33rd Senate District.

STOP was formed nearly 25 years ago by McConnaughay and some of her fellow St. Charles neighbors who were concerned their property rights were being threatened by the Kane County Forest Preserve District as it worked to construct a bike path along the Fox River in the St. Charles area.

McConnaughay, the Kane County Board chairman, said the issue with the forest preserve district was resolved two decades ago and to her knowledge STOP had ceased to exist.

“It’s possible that a few of the folks who were involved at that time have used the STOP name to wage whatever political agenda they personally have,” she said. “They have done this before.”

In a press release sent out this week, STOP chairman and spokesperson Dennis Grim said that while the organization does not meet regularly, members do come together “for such issues as endorsements.”

“STOP stood up for personal property rights. We were ‘Tea Party’ activists changing laws and officials, before the modern-day Tea Party came into being,” Grim said. “Ms. McConnaughay has strayed from her community activist roots in order to climb the political ladder.”

Grim lauded Surges, who owns an insurance agency, as “rock solid.”

“Mr. Surges has been successful in business with a very large customer base; he is well-educated; he is an elected village trustee in Gilberts with experience in community planning and operations from his contribution in Gilberts,” Grim said. “We can trust that he will not speak, nor commit, without personal integrity and resolve.”

McConnaughay said she is not concerned about STOP’s endorsement of Surges.

“I think voters are more interested in what legitimate organizations and individuals have to say about my candidacy,” she said.

She cited the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Rifle Association, as well as Roskam’s recent endorsement.

She said Grim and members of STOP are entitled to their opinion, but, “I think people care more about individuals and entities who have established interests in issues and what they think of my candidacy rather than a few folks who conveniently borrow the name of group from 23 years ago.”