Yarbrough seeks recorder of deeds seat; Moore undecided on his future

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State Rep. Karen Yarbrough, D-7th, of Maywood

Updated: July 18, 2011 5:39PM

Another Proviso Township politician is eyeing the seat of Cook County recorder of deeds.

State Rep. Karen Yarbrough, D-7th, of Maywood, said she is interested in running for the seat when it’s up in March 2012.

Eugene Moore, another Maywood Democrat who has held the position for 12 years, has not said if he will step down.

“It’s a possibility,” he said. “I’m looking at retiring, but if I don’t, I’ll look at running.”

Meanwhile, Yarbrough has been meeting individually with Chicago and township Democratic Committeemen to gauge their support.

Yarbrough said she has the backing of more than 50 percent of the committeemen. She hopes to be slated for the position by Democratic Central Committee.

“I’m part of a club and work with the club,” she said of her party affiliation. “Should I be successful and garner enough support, I will be the candidate.”

Besides serving as state representative, Yarbrough heads the Proviso Township Democratic Committee, and her husband is mayor of Maywood.

Yarbrough and Moore are no strangers. Moore was the previous Proviso Township committeeman and state representative resigning in 1999 to take the recorder of deeds post.

“Everything that I’ve accomplished politically Yarbrough runs for,” he said. “I’m not sure what her rationale is, but that’s what is.”

Whether he runs for re-election or not, he is already grooming a replacement: Darlena Burnett, chief deputy recorder of deeds

He says Burnett would be a great candidate.

“She knows the office back and forth,” he said.

Likewise, his grandson, Chase, also would make a good candidate.

As far as Yarbrough’s political aspirations for the post, Moore isn’t fazed by it.

“I don’t have any thoughts about her one way or the other,” he said. “I thought she was doing a fine job as a state representative.”

Yarbrough denied any political rivalry with Moore.

“We kind of see politics a little differently,” she said of Moore. “I don’t have any beef with him and wish him well.”

Yarbrough said the inroads she’s made as a state representative, such as pushing for the abolishment of the death penalty, would make the transition to county government easy. She already has an agenda for improving the office.

“The website is terrible and needs to be overhauled,” she said. “You should be able to get to the website and see what’s there.”

She also would target mortgage and foreclosure fraud.

“I think if you had a trained group of folks working there and identify suspects, that could really help,” she said.

Yarbrough expects the Democrats’ slating will be done in September. November is the cutoff date to file.

Moore said he would notify the media if he isn’t going to run again.

“We’ll know for sure in September when petitions go out in the street,” he said. “I’m eligible to retire. There is nothing wrong with my health.”

Yarbrough said if Moore decides to run again she would reconsider her decision, but “it’s my understanding that Eugene isn’t running for re-election.”