On April 1st 36,000 votes from Peoria and the surrounding area will be tallied up for Illinois Central College’s Board of Trustees. I had the pleasure of meeting with candidate Christine Bare Kemper to discuss the position of ICC Board of Trustees, how she came upon it, and what it takes to run a political campaign.
Christine Bare Kemper has lived in Peoria for 40 years. She attended Peoria High School and sent her kids to both Richwoods and Peoria Notre Name. In her high school years, she did not excel academically so after her high school graduation, she went directly into the workforce opposed to seeking a college degree. However, when Kemper was 30 years old, she found herself a single mother, unable to access certain jobs without a college education. She decided to enroll at ICC.
“What I needed from ICC was tutors, professors, opportunities, and labs. My schedule was crazy. I’m working three part time jobs, have three kids, and I’m taking anywhere from 15 to 18 hours a semester at ICC.” Kemper noted how great ICC was at accommodating her busy schedule and attributes much of her later success to the college. “I was able to recognize and realize many of my capabilities when it came to academics.”
To repay the college, she enacted her philanthropic skills and joined the Foundation Board for six years. This board handles fundraising for ICC and is volunteer based, opposed to the Board of Trustees which is election based and focuses on budgeting and administration. After stepping down at the end of her second term on the Foundation Board, Kemper decided to pursue a seat on the Board of Trustees.
Plans for the election began as far back as last September and will continue until election day. “On the Board of Trustees there’s seven positions and one student liaison. It’s a six-year term and you’re elected by your peers. I’m on a ballet in five counties and we estimate 36,000 votes will be made.” There are two open seats on the board and four candidates, two of which are incumbents and two of which are new. Kemper is one of the newcomers.
Running for office is not easy. Christine spends her days conferring with her campaign manager, rallying public support, putting up yard signs, and organically boosting her campaign through social media. Her campaign manager, Anthony Gardner and designer, Faith Barker have worked closely with her to organize and send out a cohesive message. “I knew it was important to have a true marketing plan. I have a logo; I have colors; I have signs; I have fonts. That’s my communications background coming through.”
Since the scope of this election is so broad, Kemper and her team have had to prioritize their time and energy based off the other local elections and what the turnout might be. “For instance, Washington’s having a mayoral race and it’s pretty contested, so that will draw more people out compared to somewhere like Pekin where there’s only a few city council members running for election.” Kemper has focused on the hubs of the election which she believes to be Peoria, Morton, Dunlap, and Washington.
When it comes to communicating with individuals of the community, Kemper often utilizes Facebook messenger and her website. “I’ve even had people call me.” She stressed that people often seek to discover political affiliations on these calls when “really, they should be voting on a person-by-person basis in local elections.” Given that we currently have two diametrically opposed political parties, Kemper has made a point of staying true to her beliefs and not amending them to fit a particular party. “You’re bound to upset someone if you chose a side.”
If elected, Kemper hopes to “increase the opportunity for workforce development and apprentice programs” and better connect students with scholarships and financial aid opportunities. Early voting is already happening, and election day is April 1st. “I think it’s important for people to engage in politics and have opinions.” Involving yourself and caring about local politics is vital to having a complete understanding of the world we live in.
