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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — As the year cools down the race for Champaign County coroner is just heating up.
So far, three applicants are putting their names on the ballot for next year’s election. Republican and current chief deputy coroner Steve Thuney — democrats include Laurie Brauer and Sean Williams. Thuney took over for Dunae Northrup who resigned on Nov. 30.
“I’ve been here for 13 and a half years,” Thuney said. “I’ve investigated over 5,000 deaths in that time. I’ve learned a lot working with coroner Northrup who retired. The biggest role of the coroner’s office is very empathetic and compassionate with the family who has lost a loved one.”
Williams is a Champaign funeral home owner who has a background as a life insurance agent. Army vet and community leader.
“We partnered with the coroner’s office just to bring in a reality of what happens behind the scenes through gun violence, through suicide and the various ways of how you make it to the coroner’s office,” Williams said.
For this race applicants don’t need medical qualifications for the job. Thuney and Williams had their own takes on that.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t learn something new,” Thuney said. “A new medical term, new medical procedures done. So, I think you have to be open to that and have a basic level of understanding.”
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Williams had his thoughts.
“Community service is your best commodity and service is your best commodity,” Williams said. “The compassion, the empathy for families I think that’s the real qualification that you need.”
As for what they’ll do if elected, both candidates stated their intentions.
“My priority is to find a new forensic pathologist to work out of our office,” Thuney said. “Our current pathologist is retiring at the end of the year. Therefore we’ll be traveling a little to take our autopsies to another county. We really would like to get another pathologist out here so we can do autopsies.”
Williams expressed community integration.
“Working directly with community coalitions to bring awareness to when we do see an epidemic of certain related deaths for the community to understand what’s happening,” Williams said.
WCIA reached out to Laurie Brauer who was unavailable at the time to talk about her intentions for running. The deadline for anyone to apply for coroner — or any county office ends Dec. 15. Early voting for the primary race starts Feb. 8th and ends March 19th. Followed by the general election on Nov. 5th.
