Better public safety is key to Chicaogland sheriff Mendrick’s GOP run for governor

A Chicago-area sheriff believes his lengthy law enforcement career positions him best to address public safety and criminal justice issues in the race for the Republican nomination for governor.

Sheriff James Mendrick, of DuPage County in suburban Chicago, said crime and safety will be one of the most salient issues of the midterm elections.

“I think this is the year where safety is going to prevail,” Mendrick said.

Other Republicans running to take on Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker include conservative think tank researcher Ted Dabrowski, real estate and video gambling mogul Rick Heidner and 2022 GOP nominee Darren Bailey.

Mendrick has differentiated himself in a couple of ways from Dabrowski and Bailey. Instead of calling for the abolishment of the SAFE-T Act, the legislation that eliminated cash bail, Mendrick said there are legislative solutions that will need to be explored.

“I would love to abolish it as well, though, but I’m a pragmatist,” Mendrick said.

A man with a lengthy criminal history lit a Chicago woman on fire on public transit last fall, leading Republicans to call for the reestablishment of the cash bail system. Pritzker and other Democrats have suggested they are open to amending the legislation but have not specified how.

Mendrick said dropping the threshold for detention, making it so all those charged with felonies or recurring misdemeanors could be held until their trial, would be the best place to start.

“I think that I could get immediate support from the Democrats and Republicans,” he said.

Currently, prosecutors can only seek defendants remain in jail for certain felonies where there is threat to a victim or there is belief the defendant will commit another crime, according to the statute.

Mendrick’s record in criminal justice

After getting an art degree, Mendrick dramatically changed course and decided on a career in law enforcement, following in the footsteps of his father.

He worked his way up to detective and investigated financial crimes in DuPage County. He then moved on to be the office’s auditor and has run the office’s budget for the past 12 years, he said. He won election to the countywide office in 2018 and again in 2022.

If elected governor, Mendrick said he’d like to replicate the success of the DuPage County jail statewide.

Roughly 80% of the people booked in the suburban jail are high, Mendrick said. The jail requires inmates to do full drug detoxification. The county has a partnership with a local community college where detainees can earn credits toward a GED, and it also has job training programs.

The result has been a steep drop in the county’s recidivism rate, Mendrick said.

Immigration

Mendrick said Illinois’ sanctuary status needs to be abolished. Former GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the TRUST Act into law in 2017, which bars local and state law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement unless there is a signed warrant.

Under the law, ICE is not allowed into county jails when someone without legal status is brought into custody.

“If we got rid of it and gave ICE access to the jails, we would stop the ICE raids immediately,” Mendrick said.

Bears stadium funding

Mendrick disagrees with Bailey and Dabrowski on whether the state should assist the Chicago Bears in building their next stadium. The NFL team’s request for more than $800 million in state support and property tax breaks has not garnered a welcoming response in Springfield in the past couple of years.

Mendrick said a new stadium in the Chicago suburbs would support surrounding businesses and could generate tax revenue for the state.

“I think any way we can keep that team, we should,” Mendrick said. “It goes back to job creation.”

Other issues

Mendrick and the other Republicans largely agree on many issues.

To make everyday life more affordable, Mendrick said Illinois should rein in state spending and audit the budget.

He’s also not a fan of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act passed in 2021 by state lawmakers that’s responsible for Illinois’ transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

In his eyes, solar and wind haven’t lived up to their promise. He believes Illinois could be mining more coal to create jobs and lower energy costs. It also could also be using more resources to invest in carbon scrubbers and other means to manage carbon emissions.

“I think that our technology has brought coal back into a usable form,” Mendrick said.

Mendrick’s electability

Being elected as a Republican in a solidly Democratic county, which has voted for a Democrat in every presidential race since 2008, proves he can work well in a minority, Mendrick said.

“I’ve learned how to make sure people do the right thing, or they’re going to have to take the onus for it,” Mendrick said.

For example, he wanted DuPage County to get Tasers for its sheriff’s deputies, which was initially met with pushback, Mendrick said.

“I just want everyone to know they’re going on record today, saying that you want the cops just to be able to shoot people with bullets,” Mendrick recalls telling the county board.

In the end, the DuPage County board supported the Taser proposal.

To be able to bring those negotiations to Springfield, he’ll need to overcome a significant fundraising disadvantage and an early January poll that shows just 5% of primary voters said they would support him. However, 46% of those polled said they were undecided.

Mendrick believes his performances at GOP debates and forums proves he’s the best candidate to stand toe-to-toe with Pritzker.

“I’m just vying for that moment. I would love to get there and debate with JB Pritzker,” Mendrick said. “I think I would perform better than anybody else.”