Rematches in Kane, 4 of 6 McHenry board districts contested

Fall rematches are on tap for seats on Kane County Board Districts 19 and 23, the result of the same candidates filing for office as the process came to a close Monday.

Democrat Hidayat Khan of Elgin filed Monday in District 19. No other Democrats filed for the March primary for that district. He will face incumbent Kurt Kojzarek of Gilberts, the Republican who won their battle in 2012. He, too, gets a free pass in the March primary.

And Republican District 23 representative Maggie Auger, who is unchallenged in the primary, will face Democrat Kevin Smith of Carpentersville in November. Smith filed his paperwork Monday, and will appear alone on the primary ballot.

Republicans Thomas R. Matson, who filed Monday, and John Martin, both of Geneva, will face each other for the nomination for the 11th District county board seat being left by Mike Donahue.

In other races, county Clerk Jack Cunningham of Aurora faces a challenge for the Republican nomination from county board member Mark Davoust of St. Charles.

Genevans Don Kramer and Kevin Williams face off in the Republican primary for sheriff. Willie M. Mayes of Aurora is the sole Democrat to file for the post. Williams is a lieutenant, and Mayes a sergeant with the sheriff's department. Kramer retired from the department in 2009 as a lieutenant.

No Republicans are running against Treasurer David Rickert of Elgin, who filed last week, and no Democrats filed for the office by Monday's deadline.

Republican Melisa Taylor of Sugar Grove, finishing her first term on the county board, faces Bill Lenert, also of Sugar Grove and a longtime friend of county board Chairman Chris Lauzen. Taylor has said she believes Lauzen encouraged Lenert to run against her because, even though she supported Lauzen's election, she has questioned some of his actions as chairman.

Republican county board members T.R. Smith of Maple Park (District 9), Phil Lewis of St. Charles (District 13), Barb Wojnicki of Campton Hills (District 15) and Rebecca Gillam of West Dundee (District 21) face no opponents in the primary.

Democratic county board members Myrna Molina of Aurora (District 1), Jennifer Laesch of Aurora (District 3), Monica Silva of Aurora (District 7) and Deborah Allan of Elgin (District 17) are also unchallenged in the primary, and no Republicans filed in their districts.

In judicial races, D.J. Tegeler of Geneva and Associate Judge Marmarie Kostelny of Elgin are running in the Republican primary to replace Circuit Judge Karen Simpson, who is retiring in October.

And Associate Judge James Hallock of Elgin and David Howard of Aurora are running for another vacancy on the 3rd subcircuit, left when Circuit Judge Timothy Sheldon retired a year ago. Hallock was appointed to the Sheldon vacancy.

McHenry County

Candidate filings on Monday resulted in contested races in four out of the six McHenry County Board districts. Republicans also are squaring off in races for sheriff, clerk and treasurer.

In District 1, incumbent Nick Chirikos, an Algonquin Democrat, is running unopposed. But on the Republican side, incumbent Robert “Bob” Nowak of Lake in the Hills, David M. Stieper of Barrington Hills and Andrew Gasser of Fox River Grove are squaring off in the March primary.

The Republican field in District 3 includes former McHenry County assistant state's attorney Sarah Jansen, incumbent Nancy L. Gonsiorek, incumbent Joseph “Joe” Gottemoller and Donald C. Kopsell, All are from Crystal Lake. Democrat Kathleen Bergan Schmidt, of Crystal Lake, who was on the board two years ago, is unopposed in the primary.

District 5 Republican candidates include Michael Rein, Zane Seipler and John Jung Jr. Incumbent Paula Yensen, a Lake in the Hills Democrat, faces no opposition.

In District 6, incumbent Michele Aavang of Woodstock, Ersel C. Schuster of Woodstock and Larry W. Smith of Harvard are competing for the Republican nomination.

A lottery to determine ballot order is scheduled for Dec. 10.