FAQ
What does a Township Committeeman do?
- Organize volunteer support for Democratic Party candidates and causes
- Recruit Democratic election judges
- Join other committeemen in voting to slate candidates for county-wide office
Each of the 50 Chicago wards and 30 suburban townships in Cook County, IL has a Democratic Committeeman. The committeemanship is an unpaid party position, not a government office. Committeemen are elected every 4 years during the primary.
Why is Trudy Zaja running for the office of Hanover Township Democratic Party Committeeman?
Since 2006, Trudy has been working to organize volunteers, educate voters and get good candidates elected to office. Becoming the official representative of the Democratic Party in Hanover Township will help Trudy unite local Democrats and make our grass-roots movement even stronger.
Who has endorsed Trudy’s candidacy?
Trudy has been endorsed by the following groups and individuals:
Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO)
Hanover Township Democrats and Independents (HanDI)
Schaumburg Area Democrats (SAD)
Christine Cegelis, US Congressional candidate (2004 & 2006), 6th Congressional District State Central Committeewoman candidate (2010)
Gregory Brownfield, Illinois 55th District state representative candidate (2010)
Laurel Bault, Illinois 43d District state representative candidate (2006)
How do you pronounce “Zaja”?
The “j” is pronounced like an English “y”: ZAH-ya. The name is of Croatian origin.
Where is Hanover Township?
Hanover Township is located in northwest suburban Cook County, IL. The township is bordered on the north by the Jane Addams Tollway/I-90, on the east by Barrington Road, on the south by Devon Avenue and on the west by Liberty Street/Route 25. Hanover Township includes all of the village of Streamwood plus parts of Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Hanover Park, Bartlett and Elgin.
What is HanDI?
Hanover Township Democrats and Independents, or HanDI, is a grass-roots group formed in 2006 by Trudy Zaja and other volunteers, in reaction to inactivity and unresponsiveness on the part of the township’s official Democratic party leadership. The mission of HanDI is to empower the grass roots by training and supporting citizens and leaders dedicated to electing fiscally and socially responsible candidates to all levels of office, and to hold them accountable once elected. Over the last four years, HanDI members have campaigned for candidates to local, state and national office; organized public candidate forums; held monthly, open meetings with guest speakers on topics such as health insurance, tax reform and the environment; and hosted social events. HanDI is affiliated with Democracy for America, a nonprofit organization that provides resources (including campaign training, networking opportunities and free web pages) to progressive political action groups. HanDI is registered as Local 13388 with the Illinois State Board of Elections. Its financial reports can be viewed here.
What does the “I” in HanDI mean?
HanDI includes “…and Independents” in its name for a number of reasons:
- The single largest voting block in Hanover Township is independent voters: those who have not consistently voted in either the Democratic or Republican primaries. HanDI welcomes all members interested in promoting progressive candidates and issues, including those who may be new to the Democratic party and are not ready to adopt that label.
- The “I” serves to distinguish HanDI from the “official” Democratic party group in the township. HanDI is not a breakaway group, but was formed independently to provide an outlet for local voters interested in learning about candidates and issues. Unfortunately, the official party representatives have not provided such opportunities with any consistency.
- The group is committed to helping elect candidates to all levels of office, including nonpartisan, local positions.
- By happy coincidence, “HanDI” is a homophone for “handy,” which aptly describes the group’s character: useful, skillful and accessible.
The founders of HanDI were also inspired to adopt this name by the Eighth District Democrats and Independents, or EDDI, a volunteer group representing Illinois’ Eighth Congressional District, part of which lies in Hanover Township. (Although HanDI members admire their work, there is however no formal affiliation between HanDI and EDDI.)
How can I help?
We need volunteers to walk precincts, get out the vote on Election Day, write for this website, and more. You can also help by making a donation to the campaign. Click the Contact link to reach us.