Chris Slusser defeated incumbent Kurt Prenzler by a 24-point margin for the Madison County Board Chairman nomination in Tuesday’s Republican primary election.
According to the unofficial election results, Slusser received 11,704 votes, or 62 percent, with Prenzler receiving 7,156 votes, or 38 percent.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Slusser gave “God all the glory” for his victory.
“In a brutal campaign, he gave me a sense of peace that allowed me to weather the storm,” he wrote. “I want to thank my family for all of their support and always standing by my side. I also received so much support and encouragement from so many elected leaders in our county, and many volunteers. We built a huge coalition of people looking for change and to get our county headed in the right direction, and our message clearly resonated with the voters. I want to thank all of the voters who turned out and put their trust in me. I will never forget that I serve the taxpayers of this county, and I will always consider it a privilege to serve them.”
“I also want to thank Kurt Prenzler for his service,” he continued. “We probably agree on 99% of the issues, we just differ on execution and style. We’ve fought together on many issues for taxpayers over the years.”
Prenzler was first elected chairman in 2016. He was later re-elected in 2020 but lost to Slusser for the chance at a third term. Slusser will now run unopposed in this year’s general election for Chairman as there are no Democrat candidates seeking the position.
The campaign between Slusser and Prenzler became heated in the months leading up to the primary.
Prenzler was censured in February by the Madison County board following an ethics report finding he improperly distributed campaign materials to a county vendor from Ohio. Slusser criticized Prenzler for allegedly refusing to cooperate in the investigation.
Prenzler called the incident a mistake and apologized for his actions, saying he had no intent to campaign when he handed the individual a personal business card instead of an official business card.
He suggested the move to censure him was a politically motivated “lynching with no due process.”
Slusser also accused Prenzler of accepting $82,000 in campaign contributions from county vendors after promising in 2016 not to do so.
Prenzler said he didn’t know all of the vendors the county contracts with and didn’t break his promise intentionally.
Prenzler also drew criticism over his tenure as chairman, with Slusser calling it “nonstop chaos and dysfunction.”
The board voted 19-6 in July 2022 to remove nearly all of Prenzler’s “substantive powers” within county board administration.
Prenzler was critical of Slusser’s investments as Treasurer. He claimed Slusser lost $12 million in county funds with bad investments. Madison County Auditor David Michael penned a letter explaining that the disputed funds are not lost, but had not yet reached maturity.
Slusser currently serves as Madison County Treasurer, after being appointed to fill the vacancy in December 2016 and then being elected to the seat in 2018 and 2022.
“I see so much opportunity to expand the private sector, broaden our tax base, and ultimately reduce the tax bill for local taxpayers, if we have steady and competent leadership in the Chairman’s office,” Slusser previously said. “As a former County Board member, I know the effort those men and women on the County Board expend and cannot wait to work with them in a respectful, collaborative, and transparent manner.”
“Madison County’s potential is unlimited, but development opportunities are dying on the vine while our current Chairman plays political games, mostly against members of our own party,” he added. “Enough is enough. I’m stepping forward because we need serious leadership in our county government and a focus on economic development. I will work collaboratively to unlock the potential of our river towns and excellent skilled workforce and recruit St. Louis business besieged by high crime. The economic turnaround of our county starts now.”
Slusser previously served as Madison County Republican Party Chairman. He was also elected to the Madison County Board, serving District 15 from 2008 to 2012. He was elected again to the seat in 2016 but was then appointed to treasurer, where he has served for seven years.
As treasurer, Slusser said he managed the top-performing county investment portfolio in the state, earning more than $30 million in returns on investments, which helped reduce the county’s reliance on property taxes to fund basic government services.
Slusser and his wife, Megan, live in Wood River with their two daughters. He is a graduate of Roxana High School, Lewis & Clark Community College and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Slusser has financial professional experience, including work as an investment advisor, Chief Financial Officer for ROI Realty Partners, and as Vice President of RLP Development Company.
He also serves as trustee for the Baptist Children’s Home & Family Services Board, a volunteer at First Baptist Church in Bethalto, and a trustee on the Illinois Metropolitan Investment Board, which is a local government investment pool that handles over $900 million in assets.