McHenry County Sheriff: Nygren

Keith Nygren has been a cop for 42 years, the last 13 as McHenry County sheriff. The Republican knows all facets of the business and oversees a department whose jail operation pays most of its bills with rental fees the federal government pays for housing immigration detainees there.

Democratic challenger Mike Mahon, an internal affairs officer for the Cook County sheriff's office, for weeks claimed he could save the office $1 million but refused twice to discuss it during an editorial board session with all three candidates. He did release his plan days later, calling for the elimination of the accreditation manager, the Equal Employment Opportunity officer and eight other supervisory positions.

Nygren calls each job critical. We say there always is room for some judicious trimming as was done in the cash-strapped Kane County sheriff's office but Mahon's plan seems ham-handed and naive.

Green Party candidate Gus Philpott also is running. Nygren is endorsed.