Champaign County Democrats Name Al Klein to Serve Out Tony Fabri’s Term as Chairman

Al Klein of Urbana will serve as Champaign County Democratic Chairman for another year. Central Committee members voted Wednesday night to have the 65-year-old Klein serve out the term vacated by Tony Fabri. Klein, recently the First Vice-Chair, had been serving as Interim Chairman, following Fabri's resignation last month.

But while Klein called Wednesday night's vote one of acclamation, it was far from unanimous. Many committee members were upset that the vote was on a motion naming Klein alone, with no chance for nominating other candidates. Klein says the central committee was free to vote down the motion appointing him and entertain other nominations, but the majority chose not to.

"We have settled on a chair", says Klein. "We have a split here which has been difficult, but I think is not unreachable. we should make progress toward that, in view of what's coming up". Klein referred to the 2010 election, when Republicans will try to pick off Democrats on the Champaign County Board and in local legislative seats.

If there had been other candidates nominated for Champaign County Democratic chairman, one of them would have been Kevin Sandefur of Royal. He instead ran for 1st vice chairman, losing to Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing. Eric Thorsland of Newcomb Township came in third.

Like Klein, Sandefur spoke for party unity, despite the quarrel. "I think that we've got two choices now," Sandefur said after the meeting. "We can keep beating ourselves up, or we can pull together and try to work as a group to focus on the things we all agree on."

The Champaign County Democratic chairmanship became vacant last month, when Tony Fabri resigned, following questions about his work attendance as county auditor.