DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek is accusing the woman who beat her in the March Democratic primary of benefiting from nearly $19,000 in undisclosed campaign spending.

Kaczmarek, who has served as county clerk since 2019, said she plans to file a formal complaint with the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE). She alleges Paula Deacon Garcia's campaign failed to report an $18,905.05 contribution from the Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC until after the March 2026 primary. Patch first reported the allegations Friday, Aug. 28.

Deacon Garcia, a DuPage County Board member and chair of the county's Finance Committee, won the Democratic nomination for county clerk with more than 56 percent of the vote. She did not respond to Patch's request for comment on the allegations.

The PAC has not responded.

What Kaczmarek alleges

In a news release from her office, Kaczmarek said ISBE records show the Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC gave $18,905.05 in support of Deacon Garcia. She alleges the contribution was not disclosed during the election period.

Kaczmarek further alleges that Deacon Garcia reported a $1,354.50 PAC contribution for "campaign work on 3/18/2026." That amount was not included in a quarterly disclosure report filed in mid-April, according to Kaczmarek. A separate $904.95 contribution for "campaign work on 3/12/2026" was reported July 15, months after the primary.

"I was cheated out of a fair playing field," Kaczmarek said in a statement. "The voters were cheated out of a fair playing field as well."

She added that the county clerk's office is "responsible for honestly running elections" and that candidates for it should be held to the highest standards of compliance with the law. Kaczmarek described herself as a voting rights activist before becoming county clerk.

No response from the other side

Neither Deacon Garcia nor the Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC has publicly responded to the allegations. The complaint's claims could not be independently confirmed, and no on-record response addressing the campaign finance accusations appears in public records as of publication.

What happens next

Kaczmarek said she plans to file a complaint but has not announced a filing date. Under Illinois law, ISBE staff evaluates campaign finance complaints filed under Section 5/9-20 of the Election Code. If a violation appears to have occurred, the board refers the complaint for further review and possible prosecution, according to the ISBE website.

The dispute adds another layer of tension between Kaczmarek and Deacon Garcia. In a separate disagreement reported by the Chicago Tribune on Aug. 23, Kaczmarek warned her office faces a $2.5 million shortfall to run the November election. Deacon Garcia responded that taxpayers "deserve more transparency" and that the clerk's office should follow county budgeting procedures.

No hearing date or ISBE docket number has been announced for the campaign finance complaint.