Sheahan Drops Out of Primary and Will Step Down as DuPage County Board Member This Month

DuPage County Board Member Brien Sheahan of Elmhurst is withdrawing from the March General Primary and intends to step down as a board member on Jan. 31. Sheahan has represented District 2 residents since 2002.

“It has been a sincere privilege to have served on the DuPage County Board,” Sheahan said in a press release. “However, my wife and I have a very precocious 14-month-old son, and hope to have a larger family. As a result, my focus, time and energy have shifted dramatically over the past year and a half. I simply want to say thank you to all of the people who have supported me through the years.”

The remaining candidates in the Republican Primary for DuPage County Board District 2 are Sean T. Noonan of Elmhurst, Peter DiCianni of Elmhurst, Rafael Rivadeneira of Elmhurst, Zachary Wilson of Lombard, Mike Loftus of Lisle, Jim Long, Elaine Zannis of Oak Brook and Charles Mueller of Elmhurst.

DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin said Sheahan’s experience and leadership will be missed on the board.

“Brien Sheahan's leadership over the past 10 years will have a lasting positive impact on the County Board," Cronin said. "His contributions to increase transparency, keep county taxes low and improve fiscal management have been significant. We will miss Brien's perspective and institutional knowledge. I wish him the best.”

Sheahan said he is proud of his record while serving on the County Board, which includes his votes to not raise property taxes, his support of smaller government and his work toward transparency.

“When I first joined the County Board, we literally only had a few days to review the budget before the vote," Sheahan said. "Now the budget process takes six months to complete allowing the County Board more time to review department requests and to seek input from the public before a decision is made. The process has allowed us more planning to ensure that we aren’t lurching from one financial crisis to another."

As technology chairman, Sheahan was instrumental in ensuring the public has access to information through the county’s web site, such as meeting agendas, minutes and financial statements. The site was recognized nationally for its transparency.

“DuPage County has accomplished a lot over the past decade and I will continue to watch with interest as a new set of county leaders bring renewed energy and ideas that will improve the lives of all residents,” said Sheahan.

Sheahan lives in Elmhurst with his wife, Anne, and son, Will. As a lawyer, he  specializes in election, real estate and small business law.

This story will be updated.