The Belly of the Beast

The year that followed confirmed what many insiders already knew: the Stephenson County Democratic Party wasn’t run by Democrats. It was run by Donovan and the unions. Nothing happens without their approval.

Atkinson, standing up to them, quickly became Public Enemy #1.

He was lied to. Misled. Targeted. Sources close to the campaign confirm that party leaders even told him to stop wasting his time reaching out to the Black community, dismissing his efforts because “they don’t vote.”

At a fundraiser at the Freeport Art Museum, Atkinson — one of only four Black attendees in a room of 100 — delivered a speech that passionately spoke to Freeport’s struggles while aggressively calling out the party’s indifference to actual Democrats, to Black residents, to the poorest among us, and to the most vulnerable.

Party leaders clapped and smiled. They praised it as the “best speech he had ever given.”

Atkinson later told a close friend:

“It went right over their heads. They are so full of themselves that they had no idea I was talking about them.”

Days later, Atkinson walked into the party office and fired them.

“You treat this community the same way the other side does — you just do it with a smile.”

Sabotage and the Numbers

From then on, the Democratic Party wasn’t just indifferent. They were hostile. Whisper campaigns spread. Voters were told not to support him. Party insiders dragged his name through the mud.

When the dust settled, Atkinson lost the mayoral race by 1,095 votes.

Yet compared to 2021, 1,128 more ballots were cast in 2025.

The surge in voters almost perfectly matched the margin of defeat.

Let that sink in. Take from it what you will.

The anomalies don’t end there. For three cycles straight — 2013, 2017, and 2021 — mayoral turnout steadily dropped. In 2021, with 33,392 registered voters, turnout collapsed by 16% from the 2017 mayoral race. By 2025, registered voters had dropped again to only 28,195 — a loss of over 5,000 voters in four years. And yet turnout spiked by 37% over 2021.

The city clerk’s race mirrored the mayoral race — dropping 18% in both 2017 and 2021, then suddenly increasing by 37% in 2025. The share of voters participating in the clerk’s race stagnated at 76% — another red flag.

And the Democrats? They were nowhere to be found.

• No Democratic election judges at polling places.

• No Democratic observers at ballot counting.

• Silence when voters at Park Hills Golf Course complained about being given the wrong ballots.

• Silence when the County Clerk admitted she broke election law by counting mail-in ballots early.

Atkinson summed it up best after his loss:

“I may have lost an election, but the people of Freeport won. They now know who to turn to. Elections are not just about winning or losing, they are about the voices of the people being heard.”

Cook for?

In the 2025 Freeport elections, another Democrat appeared on the ballot besides Atkinson: Sue Cook. She ran for 2nd Ward Alderman but lost to Linda Johnson by 280 votes. The party spent weeks after the election trying to defend itself against critics who recognized that the party did little to nothing to support Cook’s candidacy.

The party chose not to run anyone for City Clerk, Ward 4, or Ward 6. Once again, they sat on the sidelines.

Cook later announced a run for County Clerk in 2026, hoping to give voters an alternative to the Republican Party’s own secretary. But in true Democratic Party fashion they have only showed no desire to go against the local Republicans, she has since dropped out.

Candidates Ignored and Silenced

Atkinson and Cook aren’t the only ones. The Stephenson County Democratic Party has developed a disturbing pattern: ignore, isolate, or crush any candidate they don’t or can’t control.

• Montez Soliz – Announced his run to primary Congressman Eric Sorensen. Ignored by local Democrats.

• Brendyn Morgan – Running against Darin LaHood. Shut out of events, excluded from promotion. Ignored.

• Scott Best – Entered the race, recognized the dysfunction, and confirmed Morgan’s observations.

• Joe Albright – Announced a run, only to quickly exit citing family health issues. No real party support.

• John Ping – Running against John Cabello. Ignored.

• Patrick Cortesi – Left out of recognition.

• Sue Cook – Dropped out after being ignored.

These aren’t conspiracy theories. These are names. These are Democrats - real people who stepped up to run — only to be ignored, sidelined, or actively undermined.