Reilly Aims To Beat Will County Sheriff Kelley

JOLIET, IL - Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley is being challenged for his second term of office by one of his current deputies. Jim Reilly, who was named Police Officer of the Year in 2016, was also officer of the year in 1991 and 1993 at the Joliet Police Department, his campaign notes. With less than six weeks until the Nov. 6 election, Kelley is crushing Reilly in campaign donations.

Kelley, a Democrat from Lockport, has about $142,600 in his campaign war chest. Reilly, a Republican from Wilmington, now has about $19,000, and that's after raising nearly $10,000 since June 30.

Reilly maintains that campaign donations will not determine who wins or loses on Nov. 6.

"A vote for Mike Kelley is a vote for Michael Madigan and the Democratic machine that Madigan wants here in Will County," Reilly told Patch. "We know financially we're up against a Democratic powerhouse. I'm very optimistic about our campaign. It's a grassroots campaign, one of change and accountability at the sheriff's department. I'm 100 percent confident that I am the better candidate. People of Will County deserve better leadership at the sheriff's department."

Joliet Patch has analyzed the political contributions to both candidates for Will County Sheriff, as published on Illinois Sunshine, a not-for-profit website operated by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.

Citizens To Elect Mike Kelley Will County Sheriff

Cash on Hand: $142,591

Donations since June 30: $45,700

Top 10 Campaign Donors (this list excludes funds Kelley contributed to himself.)

1. American Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 604 $18,500
2. Kozol Brothers $17,500
3. Democratic Party of Illinois $16,991
4. Chicago Land Operating Joint Labor, Management PAC $15,000
5. D Construction $14,000
6. Will County Sheriff's Police Management Association $11,675
7. Homer Management $7,750
8. Cogan & Power P.C. $7,500
9. IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund $5,100
10. Committee to Elect Larry Walsh $4,850

Citizens to Elect James Reilly

Cash on Hand: $19,020

Donations since June 30: $9,800

1. Kevin Van Eekeren $5,000
2. Paul Sedlacek $1,900
3. John Cosgrove $1,800
4. McNamara Phelan McSteen LLC $1,730
5. James Scarpetta $1,140
6. Friends of Adam Kinzinger $1,000
7. Kozol Bros. $1,000
8. Martin Ozinga, III $1,000
9. Inland Arts & Graphics $995
10. Barrett Hardware $880

Candidate differences

Kelley touts his experience as why he's the better choice for voters.

He has been at the Will County Sheriff's Department since December 1988. If re-elected, this will be his second four-year term of office.

The following information is posted on Sheriff Kelley's campaign website:

• Added five new drug detection canines
• Consolidated 50,000 pieces of evidence into one location
• Implemented programs to increase transparency and integrity of the department members
• Saved hundreds of thousands by bringing foreclosures in house and no longer paying these fees to a private law firm
• Modernized patrol scheduling to increase coverage without increasing costs
• Taking a proactive approach to the opioid crisis by implementing the Will County Sheriff's Office Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition
• Started a Drug Enforcement Interdiction Team
• Proactive approach to school violence by implementing a training program for the entire department in "active shooter response"

Heroin problem needs attention

Reilly maintained that his campaign for sheriff is about informing the voters that Kelley is a poor leader and poor manager. Reilly said he will consider overhauling the sheriff's administration, if he's elected.

"Mike Kelley is not a bad person," Reilly said. "The people that work for him struggle to follow his leadership. Mike also lacks formal criminal investigative experience and has absolutely no narcotics experience at a time when our county and state and country is in the middle of one of our worst opioid epidemics in our country's history."

“The growing heroin and opioid epidemic in Will County must be tackled head-on. Overdoses, deaths, and property crimes have increased drastically in recent years right here in Will,” Reilly's press release states. “These drugs were nearly nonexistent in our communities ten years ago but are now being found everywhere, including our high schools, on a regular basis. My administration will aggressively target the drug dealers who victimize users and cause the devastating loss of loved ones due to overdose deaths."

Reilly also said the criminal investigations unit at the Will County Sheriff's Department needs better leadership and direction.

A number of high-profile violent crimes are going unsolved on Mike Kelley's watch.

RELATED STORY: A Look At Will County's Murder Cases

The Sema'j Crosby homicide has remained unsolved for 17 months now.

On April 27, 2017, Will County Sheriff's deputies found the dead baby's body hidden underneath the couch of her family's house on Louis Road in Joliet Township. Nobody has been arrested in her death.

Seven months ago, the body of 21-year-old Lincoln Way area resident Marissa Koziel was dumped in Joliet's Forest Park area along a lonely stretch of California Avenue. Koziel died of a lone gunshot.

Nobody has been arrested by Will County in Koziel's slaying.

And, three months ago, on June 26, the Will County Sheriff's Office responded to a fully engulfed car on Rowell Avenue. Two burned bodies were found inside, Xavier Sallie, 19, and Dontae Morgan, 21. Both Joliet men were fatally shot before Sallie's car was torched.

There have been no arrests in that double homicide, either.

Reilly said: "I can assure you that I'm very concerned with how these investigations are being handled. Once I am elected, I will be looking toward the FBI for assistance in solving these cases. I will find an administration that will bring a successful conclusion to some of the homicides. The families deserve justice, especially Sema'j.

"This isn't throwing mud. This is educating people of Will County that we need change," Reilly said.

As for the incumbent, Sheriff Kelley's Facebook page is dominated by dozens of posts and photos of him and his legion of supporters attending community festivals and parades such as: Manhattan Irish Parade, Crete Memorial Day Parade, Wilmington Catfish Days Parade, Homer Fest, Canal Days in Lockport, Beecher Fourth of July Parade, Mokena Chamber of Commerce 4th of July Parade, Elwood Days Parade, Shorewood's Crossroads Festival, Channahon's Three Rivers Festival and Frankfort Fall Fest, among others.

"Why doesn’t Reilly ever post pics of him and his people walking in local parades? Oops! I guess it’s because NOBODY walks for him in parades!" one of Kelley's supporters posted on Facebook after the Elwood Days Parade.

Main image of Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley via Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak