Dernulc resigns Lake County Council seat
GOP councilman leaving after winning State Senate spot
Lake County Councilman Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, said goodbye to his colleagues Tuesday after resigning his post to head downstate to serve as the newly elected first district state senator.
Dernulc defeated State Sen. Michael Griffin, D-Highland, who was seeking his first elected term in office, in a contentious campaign.
Family members, including his wife, mother and father, were on hand for the send off, along with a number of other supporters. Dernulc leaves the council just shy of serving 12 years. Dernulc will be sworn in as a state legislator Nov. 22 for Organization Day.
“I’m going to try to hold it together because it’s been a tough day for me. Over the last 12 years we’ve been able to work together as colleagues and friends,” Dernulc said.
“It’s been a true pleasure, I think we’ve really made a difference,” he said.
His fellow council members said their goodbyes
Councilman Alfredo Menchaca, D-Gary, was among those wishing Dernulc well. Menchaca was involved in a controversy prior to the election after he, Councilman Dave Hamm, D-Hammond and Council President Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, penned a
letter supporting Dernulc, a Republican, for the seat, which Dernulc used in a campaign mailer.
“If I caught a little heat for supporting a good man, so be it,” Menchaca said.
Councilman Charlie Brown, D-Gary, who is a former state representative, joked he mentioned to Dernulc some time ago he was going to regret the switch. Brown said he would be watching to see what Dernulc is able to do as in the seat to bring in something for the region.
“I’m gonna see how successful you are,” Brown said.
Dernulc said he would be working with State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, who attended the meeting and was also a former county councilman, to do just that.
Bilski said he looked forward to continue working with Dernulc and said their ability to work together across party lines is what is needed to move legislation forward.
“What you see in Washington, D.C. is just the opposite,” Bilski said.
Michael Repay, D-Hammond, president of the Lake County Board of Commissioners, said he too looked forward to continuing their work together. He said county government has a function in the state, and he wants Dernulc to not forget how the county and state can work together.
Dernulc said the county currently is in good shape and attributed that to the bipartisan work of the body over the past 12 years.
“I don’t know if we would be in the spot we are in financially if it wasn’t for that. It’s extremely important that we all work together and we check the parties at the door,” Dernulc said.