McHenry County primary will not include 3 incumbents

While three longtime county officials are not seeking re-election, only two county board seats were being contested in the Republican primary as of Monday, officials said.

Keith Nygren, sheriff since 1997, Katherine Schultz, clerk since 1990, and Bill LeFew, treasurer since 1996 are not seeking re-election.

In Schultz’s case, she recently got married and is eager to start a new chapter in her life.

“I’ll be 73 when this term ends and I just got remarried, so I’m just going to finish out my term and my husband and I are going to enjoy whatever time we have left,” Schultz said.

McHenry County Board members Mary McClellan of Holiday Hills and Nick Provenzano of McHenry, will be vying to replace Schultz on the Republican ticket. Both represent District 3 on the county board.

In the sheriff’s race, longtime undersheriff Andrew Zinke of Woodstock and William Prim, a Cary resident and former commander with the Des Plaines Police Department, are both running.

As for the treasurer’s race, Harvard resident Glenda L. Miller, the county’s chief deputy treasurer and Crystal Lake City Councilman Jeffrey T. Thorsen are each running.

So far, just two of the county board races have competition — the six districts have four representatives and two of the four are up for re-election. In District 3, newcomers Nancy L. Gonsiorek and Donald C. Kopsell will take on incumbent Joseph Gottemoller. All three hail from Crystal Lake. Democrat Kathleen Bergan Schmitt, a Crystal Lake resident who lost her seat in the district two years ago, has also thrown her name into the ring.

In District 6, incumbents Ersel C. Schuster and Michele Aavang, both of Woodstock will try to fend off a challenge from newcomer Larry W. Smith of Harvard.

So far, only one candidate has filed paperwork to represent Districts 1, District 4 and District 5. They are Andrew Gasser a political newcomer from Fox River Grove, John D. Hammerand, an incumbent from Wonder Lake, and John Jung Jr., an incumbent from Woodstock, respectively.

District 2 was also uncontested as of Monday afternoon. Incumbents James L. Heisler and Donna Kurtz, both from Crystal Lake, have filed to keep their seats. The last day of filing is Dec. 2.

Lotteries to determine ballot order will occur in all of the contested races except the one in District 6, because Smith and Aavang filed after 8 a.m., according to Schultz. The date for the lottery has not been determined, but will likely be held Dec 10, Schultz said.