Uphill write-in campaign falls short in Lake County’s District 17

A write-in campaign in the Republican primary to represent District 17 on the Lake County Board has fallen short, according to unofficial results.

The outcome means Barrington attorney and first-time candidate Joe Salvi can claim victory in the district situated along the county's south and western borders.

Unofficial totals showed Salvi with 1,521 votes to 459 for Eleanor Sweet McDonnell, North Barrington's village president since 2019.

Though not impossible, it's rare for a write-in to win a primary for county board, Lake County election officials say.

“She gave it a very hard working effort and I think the Republican Party is stronger because of it,” Salvi said Friday.

That becomes “vitally important” Salvi said because Democrats hold a 14-5 supermajority on the county board. Candidates were on the primary ballot in two of the three Republican seats up for contest in November.

McDonnell acknowledged the difficulty but said she was urged by local mayors and other elected officials to run to give voters a choice.

“I am thankful to those who rallied behind my candidacy with the same motivation that drove my decision to wage an almost impossible write-in campaign for this office,” she said in a statement after results were posted late Thursday.

Incumbent Michael Danforth has represented District 17 since early 2017. He filed for reelection but withdrew after the filing deadline and endorsed Salvi, who had filed on the last day.

McDonnell questioned that timing and ran to offer voters what she described as a stronger choice.

“The results are not as important to me as the principles that guided my decision to go full steam ahead,” she said adding that she “will sleep well knowing that I did the right thing, for the right reason.”

Salvi said he didn't take his position on the ballot for granted and ran a productive campaign that included knocking on about 1,500 doors.

“There were no backdoor deals,” he said. “We just wanted to focus on the issues and didn't think it was productive to go back and forth.”

He said residents weren't concerned with “the noise of politics” but what the candidates could do for them.

“Our plan is to continue to build on the grass-roots campaign we've been running,” he said. Salvi said the increasing cost of living is squeezing residents and he wants to work so families can stay rather than feeling forced to leave.

Salvi will face Democrat Mary Mesa in November.

Among all write-in candidates on the ballot in Lake County, Max Solomon running for Illinois Treasurer had the most votes with 1,275. Sweet’s 459 votes was second well ahead of all others, unofficial results showed.