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Elburn Herald
June 20, 2002

Area Democrat prepares to challenge Hastert

by Christopher Petersen

Winning an election against an incumbent is usually difficult, and when the incumbent is in as elevated a position as Speaker of the House of Representatives, it's bound to be harder.

However, Larry Quick of Aurora sees an opportunity to challenge Dennis Hastert (R-Yorkville) for his seat in the House this fall.

Quick said Democratic candidates have traditionally won close to 25 percent of the vote against Hastert in past elections, so he doesn't see the chances as all that slim.

"I only need 25 percent more plus one vote," Quick said.

The 49-year-old Quick now works as a management consultant, but he's had political experience in the past. He's worked as a volunteer on several aldermanic campaigns and is involved with the Kane County Democrats. In fact, it was working with the Kane County Democrats that inspired Quick to run against Hastert.

Quick was working on the annual Truman Dinner, a Kane County Democrat fundraisier, when he found out that there was no Democrat running against Hastert this year.

"I knew I would be very disappointed as a voter if I went to the polling booth and had only one choice," Quick said.

Quick plans to run on a platform that includes greater cooperation between government, business and education, campaign finance reform, higher ethical standards for government officials and a fair system of taxation. Quick said he wants to change the way both large companies and individuals are taxed.

"The working class are paying a much higher (tax) rate, and that's not fair," Quick said.

He also wants to change the educational system, saying most students become bored too easily in American schools.

Aside from issues like those, Quick said voters are eager for change.

"There are a lot of people unhappy with the Prairie Parkway being shoved down their throat," Quick said.

Quick has a bachelor's degree in accounting from DePaul University, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a Ph.D in Industrial Engineering and Management from Northwestern.

Before becoming a consultant, Quick spent nine years as a professor at Benedictine University in Lisle and 17 years teaching management at Aurora University in Aurora.