Lake County Gazette

After Alderman Keith Turner posted a sign on his front lawn supporting candidate Ann Taylor for mayor last month, he received a text from current Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham.

“It shocked me that Mayor Cunningham would threaten me, and I do perceive his text as a threat,” Turner told the Lake County Gazette.

In documents obtained by the Lake County Gazette, Cunningham allegedly communicated the following message: “Don’t forget what comes around go around and good luck on your election with Ann. I wish you the best sir. God Bless!”

Alderman Kevin Turner | Provided

The next day, Turner said the sign promoting Taylor had disappeared from his front yard.

“I’m disappointed because our city is better than that,” Taylor said. “People should have the right to support who they want and say what they need to say. I really don't like it when people are not treated fairly and respectfully. It’s a bad image for our city.”

Cunningham did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“We are not going to tolerate bullying and intimidation from the mayor or anyone,” Turner said in an interview. “He is inferring in his text that because I am not supporting him, he's going to punish me and that is political intimidation. It is an attempt to suppress my freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of political choice.”

Turner, who has since purchased a new yard sign promoting Taylor, posted Cunningham’s text on his Facebook page.

“Sam Cunningham has a very charming personality on one side but once he got into power, things changed,” Taylor told the Lake County Gazette. 

Cunningham has been Waukegan mayor since 2017. His mother, Mary Ross Cunningham, is the Lake County commissioner vice-chair.

“This is the first time I ever heard Sam Cunningham mention God,” said Turner, who formerly was a supporter of Cunningham's. “As I became aware of Mr. Cunningham's conduct, actions, fabrications and lack of transparency, I lost confidence in the man over the two years that I've been sitting as alderman.”

In 2019, Mike Morales, a private citizen, sued Cunningham and his mother over alleged violations of his First Amendment rights.

Morales was allegedly threatened with eviction by Cunningham’s mother if Morales did not remove a Facebook post in which Morales had put devil horns on a photo of the politicians, according to media reports.

“We need to return this community back to our residents who feel they have no input right now,” Ann Taylor told Lake County Gazette. “There's a frustration in the communities. No matter what ward you go into, people don't feel like they have a voice.”