Political conventions are well-known for the hats.
And Karen Yarbrough wears many.
Her professional process is Cook County clerk, overseeing elections and safeguarding delivery and demise certificate and different public information in Illinois’ maximum populous county.
On the political aspect, she’s a committeeperson representing west suburban Proviso Township for the Cook County Democratic Party, the place she’s additionally the treasurer. She’s additionally a member of the birthday celebration’s state central committee and serves as vice chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
She’s additionally been a state consultant and the county’s recorder of deeds – an place of job that can quickly merge with hers.
Yarbrough may be an enthusiastic cheerleader for the birthday celebration, making robo-calls to get out the vote prior to elections and rallying delegates throughout this week’s Illinois occasions.
But she insists she doesn’t blur the traces.
“I walk the line,” Yarbrough mentioned. “I know what my job is, I do my job, and I don’t mix the politics with my job.”
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, a pace-setter in each the county and state Democratic events, speaks at a delegation assembly on Thursday,BlueRoomStream
And that’s no simple activity, since politics is such a lot part of a few of spaces her place of job oversees.
“I’m tired of hearing the narrative about all of these different things that are coming out of the White House, and what I was going to do is focus on November, focus my attention on my job, making sure that people are safe at the voting booths and they can exercise their right to vote and engage young people,” she mentioned. “So, I’m excited.”
With the pandemic scuttling the birthday celebration’s preliminary plans to assemble in complete pressure in Milwaukee this week, Yarbrough mentioned she used to be to start with involved in regards to the conference going digital as a result of “part of a convention has to do with seeing people that you’re used to working with from across the country … and we usually only see them at meetings maybe a couple times a year, or at the convention, and so it’s very social.”
“I think people get energy from other people,” Yarbrough mentioned.
And throughout the ceaselessly awkward on-line delegation conferences this week, it used to be transparent Yarbrough’s fellow Democrats had been tapping into her power.
While others gave the impression at a loss for words over how as regards to lean into their pc displays or whether or not their voices had been muted, Yarbrough all the time seemed totally engaged, providing enthusiastic two-hand waves and cheers for her fellow Democrats.
“You rock, too” she yelled to visitor speaker Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester on Tuesday and “we love, you, senator” when Sen. Dick Durbin seemed in short at the back of his spouse Loretta Durbin.
“I think we all want what Karen’s having,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot joked.
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, vice chair off the Illinois Democratic Party, best left nook, helps to keep the temper gentle throughout a delegation assembly on Tuesday. BlueRoomStream.
Yarbrough mentioned serving to other people is what she unearths most fun about being elected and engaged with the birthday celebration.
“It’s an honor to serve,” Yarbrough mentioned throughout Tuesday’s reside streamed assembly.
But it hasn’t all been amusing and video games.
Government watchdog Michael Shakman has accused Yarbrough of running “an illegal patronage employment system,” resulting in a federal track being ordered for the clerk’s place of job.
Yarbrough has in the past mentioned the allegations in opposition to her are “purely personal.”
“I don’t have the time or the inclination to deal with that kind of thing,” she mentioned final November.
This November, Yarbrough says she is aware of “exactly what we have to do” to assist presidential nominee Joe Biden and a undeniable sorority sister.
Yarbrough is extremely joyful that California Sen. Kamala Harris used to be picked for the vice-presidential slot. Like Harris, Yarbrough is a member of the Alpha…