A Caucus in Need of Reform

By PK Wilson Vice Chair, Winnetka Caucus Council

As Vice Chair of the Caucus, I've had the privilege of serving on the Parks, Library, and Schools Committees. Most of the time, the process has been fair and focused on what's best for our community. Sometimes, though, it hasn't been and those moments are becoming more frequent. It's time we talk about that honestly.

For those who may not be familiar, the Caucus is a volunteer group that recruits and recommends candidates for our local boards: schools, parks, the library, and the village. It started long before our town had newspapers, as a way for a trusted group of residents to gather and share information about local candidates. Times have changed and today, with open communication and public access to information, there's no need for a small group to quietly decide what the community needs.

In my experience, the Caucus isn't corrupt, but it is vulnerable to groupthink — and that can be just as damaging. There have been moments that understandably made residents question the fairness of the process. A previous executive chair once refused to allow the bio for an independent candidate to appear on the Caucus website. In other election cycles, the same committee members have remained in place, effectively voting multiple times on the same positions. Technically, the rules allow it or the Executive Committee can "make a call."

However, it tends to breed mistrust when rules are applied inconsistently, and the real trouble begins when everyone in leadership starts thinking the same way. It's also important to note that the Caucus operates on zero official funding. It's essentially self-funded, with no financial oversight, no audit, and no transparency from what I've seen. That lack of accountability only adds to the perception that the process is insular and unchecked, and it reinforces why reform is necessary.

In recent years, contested elections, which should be seen as a sign of healthy engagement and fresh ideas have too often been met with hostility instead of encouragement for broader participation. These elections have also highlighted how outdated and undemocratic parts of our structure have become. When the same people who recruit candidates also vote on which ones to endorse, it creates a built-in bias that undermines fairness.

We've even seen cases where Caucus-slated candidates end up running against one another, meaning the Caucus "wins" no matter who loses. If we truly want to remain nonpartisan, we cannot both recruit and endorse candidates. We need to choose the role that best reflects the fairness and transparency our community deserves.

I'm writing this from a place of both concern and hope. The tone of this election season has been painful to witness. People who used to greet each other with kindness are now divided by anger and suspicion. Yet we still share pews, grocery aisles, and sidelines and those everyday moments remind us we're still neighbors. Before 2020, we connected through our kids, our schools, our village: not our politics. We connected through shared experiences, not divisions. It would be wonderful to get back to that.

The Caucus, as it stands, has become a source of division and needs a serious reset. The flood of recent emails the Executive Committee received shows how strongly people feel about this. Everyone recognizes the influence that comes with being slated by the Caucus, but the structure itself isn't equipped to manage the process fairly or transparently. At this point, the Town Hall vote seems to carry more weight than Election Day itself, and that has unintentionally turned the Caucus into more of a political organization than it was ever meant to be.

I hope we can come together to rethink how the Caucus operates. With great power comes great responsibility, and that power should amplify (not overshadow) our collective voice. Instead of holding a Town Hall vote, perhaps we host a true candidate forum, a space where residents can hear from every candidate, ask questions, and decide for themselves who best represents our shared values. That would shift us from endorsing to engaging and help rebuild trust in the process.

It's time to focus again on what brings us together, not what pulls us apart. We all care deeply about this town. That's something worth protecting. Let's bring our community back to the table listening, learning, and participating as neighbors first.