Joliet resident with a long history of commitment to the community is seeking to become the first African American woman elected as Will County Clerk.
Democrat Michelle Stiff and GOP candidate Annette Parker are vying for the seat vacated by the resignation of Lauren Staley Ferry after she took a position as Joliet City Clerk. Ferry has endorsed Stiff for Will County Clerk.
“I served as Will County clerk for nearly six years, amidst some of the most trying times for our election authorities in our nation’s history,” said Staley Ferry. “We need a leader in this office who will prioritize election security, exercise fiscal discipline, and keep voting accessible to all communities across Will County.
“We need a leader we can trust, and I know Michelle Stiff will be that leader for Will County,” she continued. “That is why I am proud to endorse her for Will County clerk in the upcoming November election.”
Stiff is no stranger to running for office. In 2019 she was elected to the Joliet Township High School District 204 board and elected as board president.
Stiff, who is married to Jesse and is a mother of three sons, said she decided to run in the Nov. 5 election to give voters transparency and not have a repeat of the Jan. 6 insurrection following the defeat of Donald Trump by Joe Biden for president.
“I am running for Will County Clerk to ensure our elections remain secure, free and fair,” she said. “We need a county clerk who will stand up to Project 2025and any attempt to undermine our liberties as voters. The right to vote in a free and fair election is the foundation of our democracy, and I vow to defend that right.”
She cites her work experience and community service as among her credentials that voters should consider before casting a vote next month.
As Director of Will County Workforce Development Stiff noted, “I have streamlined our services, expanded the office’s outreach exponentially, and saved taxpayers’ dollars.
Fiscal discipline and accessibility have been my top priorities as director, and they will be top priorities for the Will County Clerk’s Office if I am elected Nov. 5,” Stiff said.
If elected, Stiff said she will apply her leadership experience and fiscal discipline to her new position.
“As Director of Workforce Development, I forged partnerships with local businesses
and organized labor to expand the outreach and scope of the department beyond what had ever been done before,” Stiff explained. “As JTHS 204 School Board president, I ran a school district that prioritized equity and received “Aa3” and “AA” credit ratings from Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global, respectively.
“If elected, I will bring the same approach to leadership and fiscal management to the Will County Clerk’s Office.”
Stiff said she is proud to receive Staley Ferry’s endorsement, whom she credits for doing an “excellent” job in the county clerk’s office.
“Continuing her legacy of responsive and effective leadership, I’d like to digitize our records, implement universal voting on Election Day and strengthen our outreach to voters,” Stiff said. “By digitizing our county’s records, we can save taxpayer dollars and make our government run more efficiently.”
By creating some universal polling locations on Election Day, Stiff foresees “improving election accessibility for working people.”
“By strengthening our outreach and having our team proactively go into communities across Will County, we can ensure our electorate is better informed.”
The Times Weekly spoke with Annette Parker to profile her but has not receive a follow-up from her team. news@thetimesweekly.com
