Hammerand leads pack in McHenry County District 4 GOP race

With all precincts reporting in the Republican primary for McHenry County Board’s District 4, the three incumbents and newcomer Robert Martens Sr. prevailed in unofficial tallies among six candidates vying for four spots.

Board member Hammerand, 60, of Wonder Lake, was the top-vote getter with 20.13 percent of votes. Hammerand is a small-business owner and was first elected in 1998.

Board member Sandra Salgado, 37, of McHenry, who was first elected in 2000 and works as director of human resources for a nonprofit agency, got 18.22 percent of votes; board member Sue Draffkorn, 55, of Wonder Lake, got 17.99 percent of votes. Draffkorn was first elected in 2002 and works as a bookkeeper.

Newcomer Robert Martens Sr., 69, of Spring Grove, got 16.02 percent of votes. Martens recently retired as CEO of behavioral health care agency. He served as Spring Grove village president for 12 years, and currently serves on the county board’s ethics and community development block grant commissions.

The count does not include provisional and late absentee ballots. Also in the race were and Edward Varga, 45, of Richmond, and Linda Kvidera Murphy, 57, who lives in unincorporated McHenry County.

Also running in the general election in November is Democrat Mary Margaret Maule.