Bockhold, Daniels retain Adams County political leadership posts

QUINCY — Members of the Democratic and Republican parties of Adams County voted to keep their party chairpersons in place Wednesday night.

The members of the Central Committees for each respective party held their bi-annual caucus at the Adams County Courthouse. The Republican and Democratic members met in separate courtrooms to cast their votes.

Dave Bockhold, who has been the Adams County Republican Central Committee Chairman since 2019, won the vote over Steve Kennedy to remain as chairman. Bockhold was the party’s vice-chairman from 2014-2019.

Kennedy had been the vice-chairman of the Adams County GOP under Bockhold.

Local Republicans have been split into two factions, with most of the established and elected party leadership in one wing and the more conservative faction, locally referred to as “Tea Party”, on the other side. Leadership had been shared by the two sides previously, but on Wednesday night, the establishment wing swept all of the leadership posts as they had won a majority of precinct committee seats during the June 28 Primary.

After Kennedy lost his challenge to the top spot, he sought to remain as vice-chairman, but the establishment voted in John Mast, one of Quincy’s two 5th Ward aldermen, as the new vice-chairman.

The conservative challengers have had issues with the leaders of the local party not backing more conservative candidates. The most noticeable split was when the leadership backed Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) over Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Oakland) in their June 28 primary contest. The Tea Party faction supported Miller and she crushed Davis in Adams County and won convincingly overall in the newly-configurated 15th Congressional District.

Another outspoken conservative member of the party, Mecki Kosin, was replaced as party secretary by Jessica Douglas, who is the director of Quincy-Adams County 911.

The conservative wing also backed State Senator Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) in his gubernatorial bid. The establishment side never coalesced behind any one candidate for governor and Bailey, like Miller, cruised to victory in Adams County and overall.

According to sources who attended the caucus, there were calls for party unity at the end of the meeting. Bockhold, who had told several party members that he wouldn’t seek another term as chairman before opting back in, said that was his wish as well.

“I believe so,” when Bockhold was asked about regaining party unity. “Republicans are independent and that’s why we have primaries. But I think we’ll come together. We have 70 of 74 precincts represented and the party is strong.”

In the Adams County Democratic Party, Kate Daniels was re-elected as chairwoman. Daniels recently won a bid to be Illinois’ 15th District Central Committeewoman and is seeking a seat on the Adams County Board in November, running in District 7.

Brennan Hills, who lost to Nora Baldner in the Democratic primary for mayor in 2021, will serve as vice-chair.

Daniels said the Adams County Democrats will meet monthly. She said about 20 people were in attendance at Wednesday night’s caucus.