Three new faces on Kane Co. Board

Kane County Board District 3:

Democratic challenger Don Ishmael defeated incumbent Jennifer Laesch in a seesaw battle in Tuesday's election. Unofficial results showed Ishmael finished with 100 votes compared to 77 votes for Laesch with all 11 precincts reporting. Laesch experienced personal issues recently that caused her to miss several meetings, but she promised to put all that behind her if voters elected her to another four-year term. Ishmael campaigned mainly on his own platform, which included support for term limits, redevelopment of the Settler's Hill landfill and construction of the Longmeadow Parkway tollway.

Kane County Board District 5:

In what may be seen as a mini-referendum on the start of County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen's tenure, Republican Bill Lenert defeated incumbent Melisa Taylor Tuesday night. Lenert more than doubled Taylor's total in the Aurora portion of the precincts.

Unofficial results showed Lenert with 1,547 votes compared to 1,283 votes for Taylor with all 12 precincts reporting.

Taylor served as one of Lauzen's campaign chairmen, but she slowly became one of his most vocal critics on the county board. Lenert went to school with Lauzen and received heavy support from the chairman throughout the campaign. That support appeared to manifest in the large margin of Aurora-based support he received.

Kane County Board District 11:

The District 11 contest was the only county board race that assured the voters of new representation. Incumbent Mike Donahue fulfilled his term-limits promise when he named John Martin as his preferred successor and supported him throughout the race. That backing appeared to help propel Martin to victory Tuesday over fellow Republican challenger Tom Matson

Unofficial results showed Martin with 1,270 votes compared to 1,168 votes for Matson with all 18 precincts reporting. Martin is expected to assume Donahue's role as one of the leading voices in the redevelopment of Settler's Hill.

Matson campaigned on a general platform of keeping taxes low and bringing a businessman's eye to decision making.

None of the three victors have challengers in the November general election.