Field is crowded in Kane; but few challenges in McHenry County
Kane County voters will have a plethora of ballot choices that may create an entirely new dynamic in county elected offices come next November. The final day of candidate filing showed almost every race will give voters more than one candidate from whom to choose.
Indeed, only four of the 24 county board seats are uncontested.
But in McHenry County, there is only one Republican candidate for each of the five countywide offices. Not a single Democrat has filed, although the party still may put up candidates for those seats before the November election. But not all is quiet in McHenry County. There is a good amount of competition — among Republicans at least — for county board seats.
Kane County
Barring any write-in candidates or a party slating another candidate in coming months, the Kane County Board incumbents who stand a good chance to win new terms are John Hoscheit, Barbara Wojnicki and Phil Lewis.
Joining them will be Joseph Haimann, an unchallenged Democrat who will take over the Carpentersville-based county board seat currently represented by Hollie Lindgren.
Mark Mossman, director of elections at Kane County, said either party could still nominate a candidate for an office within 75 days after the March primary. That candidate would have to take all the same steps as other candidates, such as gathering petitions and filling out a statement of economic interest, Mossman said.
Almost every other county elected office on the ballot has a contested race, thanks to new entries on the last day of filing.
District 20 incumbent Cristina Castro will now have a primary race with fellow Democrats Jose Sifuentes and Penny Wegman. The winner will face Republican Henoch Fuentes in November.
In District 9, Theresa Wrzala will challenge incumbent T.R. Smith for the Republican nod.
In District 18, Republican incumbent Drew Frasz will face a challenge from Democrat Kerri A. Branson.
Democrat Brenda Rogers also will give incumbent Kane County Recorder Sandy Wegman a challenge. That means every countywide elected office on the ballot, except for state’s attorney, will have a contest. In addition to the recorder, those offices are: circuit court clerk, auditor, coroner and county board chairman.
So far, Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon is running unopposed for the office county board members appointed him to in 2010.
McHenry County
Most interesting about politics in McHenry County is who isn’t running.
Longtime incumbents from four different McHenry County Board districts have decided not to run for re-election in March, opening the field for new faces and fresh ideas.
Marc Munaretto was first elected to District 1 in 1998 with a focus on finance. He said he wanted to adopt a strategic plan for the county, install fiscal controls, create a sustainable financial model and boost the county’s credit rating to AAA — which it was awarded by Moody’s last April.
“I fulfilled and accomplished all of my goals and objectives as a county board member,” Munaretto said. “I think it’s appropriate for me, at this point, to step aside.”
Munaretto, like one of his colleagues in the 3rd District, thinks it is time to let new board members work toward their own goals.
Barbara Wheeler was elected in 2002 for the board’s 3rd District and, although she now is running for a state representative spot in District 64, already decided in 2010 this term would be her last.
“I loved being on the county board but I also saw a lot of great new talent coming forward and wanting to participate,” Wheeler said.
Peter Merkel, elected in 2000 to District 4, also will pass up a chance for re-election. He said it was both a family and career decision to step back. Merkel is the director of parks and recreation with the City of McHenry and has amassed enough years to retire. Though he hasn’t set a date yet, he doesn’t want to chance being elected to another 4-year term.
Half of those elected will serve 2-year terms but it is decided in a draw after the election.
“I’m not going to run for something if I don’t know that I can fully commit to finishing out the term,” Merkel said.
Scott Breeden also will not run for re-election. He represents the second district but could not be reached for comment Monday as to why he chose to end his service.
District 6 has the largest field with 14 candidates vying for four spots. But as the filing period closed Monday evening, all six races were contested.
Multiple candidates in Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 showed up in time for the 8 a.m. start of the filing period Nov. 28. There will be a lottery at 10 a.m. Dec. 12 to decide whose name appears first on the ballot.
타 Staff Writer Harry Hitzeman contributed to this report.
Heres a look at those who filed to run for office in state legislative, countywide and county board races in Kane, McHenry and Cook counties. A primary will be held, where necessary, on March 20.
State House
43rd House
Democrats: Keith Farnham
49th House
Republicans: Mike Fortner
50th House
Democrats: Andrew Bernard
Republicans: Kay Hatcher
52nd House
Republicans: Kent Gaffney, David McSweeney, Danielle Rowe
63rd House
Democrats: Jack Franks
64th House
Republicans: Barbara Wheeler
65th House
Republicans: Tim Schmitz
66th House
Republicans: Michael Tryon
State Senate
22nd Senate
Democrats: Tim Elenz, Michael Noland
26th Senate
Democrats: Amanda Howland
Republicans: Dan Duffy
32nd Senate
Republicans: Pam Althoff
33rd Senate
Republicans: Karen McConnaughay, Cliff Surges, Craig Powers
42nd Senate
Democrats: Linda Holmes
Republicans: Peter Hurtado
Kane Countywide offices
Auditor
Republicans: Karl Regnier, Laura C. Wallett, Terry Hunt
Democrats: None
Circuit Court Clerk
Republicans: Karin M. Herwick, Catherine S. Hurlbut, Thomas M. Hartwell
Democrats: Edmund James Nendick
Coroner
Republicans: Robert Nicolas Bob Tiballi, L. Robert (Rob) Russell
Democrats: Tao Martinez
County Board Chairman
Republicans: Kevin R. Burns, Chris Lauzen
Democrats: Bill Sarto, Sue Klinkhamer
Recorder
Republicans: Sandy Wegman
Democrats: Brenda Rodgers
States Attorney
Republicans: Joseph H. McMahon
Democrats: None
Kane County Board
District 1 (1 seat)
Republicans: None
Democrats: Myrna Molina, Sylvia Leonberger
District 2 (1 seat)
Republicans: Will Passalaqua, Sal Abbate
Democrats: Theresa E. Barreiro, Arthur Velasquez
District 3 (1 seat)
Republicans: None
Democrats: Juan Reyna, Jennifer Laesch
District 4 (1 seat)
Republicans: Beth C. Goncher
Democrats: Bonnie Lee Kunkel, Alexis D. Cervantes
District 5 (1 seat)
Republicans: Melisa Taylor
Democrats: Norman D. Martin
District 6 (1 seat)
Republicans: None
Democrats: Angie Greviskes, Ron Ford
District 7 (1 seat)
Republicans: None
Democrats: Monica Silva, Charles Phillips
District 8 (1 seat)
Republicans: Gregory W. Nelson
Democrats: Jesse B. Vazquez
District 9 (1 seat)
Republicans: Thomas T.R. Smith, Theresa Wrzala
Democrats: None
District 10 (1 seat)
Republicans: Thomas Raleigh Van Cleave, Susan Starrett, Darren G. Delgado
Democrats: None
District 11 (1 seat)
Republicans: Michael J. Donahue, Robert L. Janura
Democrats: Kate Bennett, Martha Hanna
District 12 (1 seat)
Republicans: John J. Hoscheit
Democrats: None
District 13 (1 seat)
Republicans: Philip Lewis
Democrats: None
District 14 (1 seat)
Republicans: Mark Davoust
Democrats: Nadia BlancDaley
District 15 (1 seat)
Republicans: Barbara R. Wojnicki
Democrats: None
District 16 (1 seat)
Republicans: Robert Sauceda, Michael J. Kenyon
Democrats: Jennifer Barconi
District 17 (1 seat)
Republicans: Jeffrey Albert Meyer
Democrats: Deborah Allan
District 18 (1 seat)
Republicans: Andrew E. Drew Frasz
Democrats: Kerri E. Branson
District 19 (1 seat)
Republicans: Victor LaPorte, Kurt Robert Kojzarek
Democrats: None
District 20 (1 seat)
Republicans: Henoch Fuentes
Democrats: Christina Castro, Jose Sifuentes, Penny Wegman
District 21 (1 seat)
Republicans: Rebecca Gillam, Lee Barrett, Don Rage
Democrats: Darren Parochelli
District 22 (1 seat)
Republicans: Douglas J. Scheflow, Debbie Miller
Democrats: Bob Getz
District 23 (1 seat)
Republicans: Margaret Maggie Auger
Democrats: Kevin S. Smith
District 24 (1 seat)
Republicans: None
Democrats: Joseph Haimann
McHenry County offices
Auditor
Republicans: Pamela Palmer
Democrats: None
Circuit Court Clerk
Republicans: Katherine Keefe
Democrats: None
Coroner
Republicans: Anne Majewski
Democrats: None
Recorder
Republicans: Phyllis Walters
Democrats: None
States Attorney
Republicans: Louis Bianchi
Democrats: None
McHenry County Board seats
District 1 (4 seats)
Republicans: Yvonne Barnes, Anna Miller, Robert Bless, Robert Novak
Democrats: Nick Chirikos
District 2 (4 seats)
Republicans: James Heisler, Carolyn Schofield, Kenneth Koehler, Thomas Wilbeck, Donna Kurtz
Democrats: Jim Roden, James Kennedy
District 3 (4 seats)
Republicans: Mary Alger, Mary Donner, Joseph Gottemoller, Mark McClellan, Linda Orphal, Nick Provenzano, Jim Schlader, Michael Walkup
Democrats: Kathleen Bergan Schmidt, Lori J. McConville
District 4 (4 seats)
Republicans: John Hammerand, Sandra Salgado, Edward Varga, Robert Martens Sr., Sue Draffkorn, Linda Kvidera Murphy
Democrats: Mary Margaret Maule
District 5 (4 seats)
Republicans: John Jung Jr., Tina Hill, Virginia Peschke, Michael Rein, Michael Skala
Democrats: Paula Yensen
Green: Frank Wedig
District 6 (4 seats)
Republicans: Diane Evertsen, Shawn Green, David LaGue, Mary McCann, Ersel Schuster, Rachel Smith, Michele Aavang, J. Vincent Ranzino, Randall Donley, Michael Stanard, Corey Brackmann
Democrats: Ryan Heuser, Scott Summers, Jayant Kadakia
Cook County
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Democrats: Dorothy Brown, Ricardo Munoz
Recorder
Democrats: Karen A. Yarbrough
States Attorney
Democrats: Anita Alvarez
Board of Review
타 1st District
Democrats: Casey Thomas Griffin
Republicans: Dan Patlak, Sean M. Morrison
타 2nd District
Democrats: Michael Cabonargi
타 3rd District
Democrats: Larry Rogers Jr., Robert Shaw
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
Democrats: Stella B. Black, Debra Shore, Kari K. Steele, Patrick Daley Thompson, Patricia Young
Republican: Harold Noonie Ward
Green: Julie Samuels, Dave Ehrlich, Karen Roothaan
16th Judicial Circuit
Colwell vacancy (1 seat)
Democrats: None
Republicans: John A. Barsanti
2nd subcircuit vacancy (1 seat)
Democrats: John G. Dalton
Republicans: John F. Hurlbut, John M. Walters
2nd District Appellate Court (OMalley vacancy, 1 seat)
Republicans: Joe Birkett
Democrats: None