Rock Island Today

Rock Island County clerk candidate Russell Christ is serious about getting Illinois back on track on the local scale.

According to his biography, Christ grew up on a farm in Hillsboro, Missouri and graduated from Kansas State College with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology, after which he was employed by Deere & Co. for 43 years before retiring in 2014.

Christ is married and has been involved in Christian services across a number of states throughout his life. From 2016 to 2018, Christ was the second vice chairman of the Rock Island County Republican Party.

Russell Christ is running for Rock Island County Clerk

Christ believes the Rock Island County clerk should perform at three basic levels and is fully prepared to follow through on all areas: trust, accuracy and performance. What Christ refers to as “T.A.P.”

Trust is important in this position because the county clerk is responsible for providing data reports, recording all documents and policies and proceedings for all areas, he said.

The clerk is also responsible for securing election votes and county equipment that are needed for public confidence and security at every stage of elections to provide voters and the county administration with accurate results, he said.

Christ highlights accuracy as fundamental to the role of county clerk because the position oversees a database of all registered voters, provides appropriate election ballots for the current address of the voters, reports the minutes of Rock Island County board meetings and registers results of elections.

Performance is important to "conserve and respect the tax dollars of the Rock Island County public. To fully implement the latest technology reducing costs while meeting voter and resident requirements for licenses, permits, voter registration, election execution,” Christ said.

“When elected to the office of county clerk, I promise to fulfill T.A.P. to the best of my abilities using the 43 years of Management experience with Deere & Co. from a local, national and global basis,” he posted on the Rock Island County Republican website. "Rock Island County residents deserve to have a new approach to how the county clerk's office functions. After 60-plus years of control by one party’s 'machine,' it is time to look at the position from a different perspective.”