Hot races in the Tri-Cities area

Voters will elect a new Kane County sheriff on Tuesday, choosing a replacement for Pat Perez, who is not seeking a third term.

The candidates in one of the county's hottest races have five decades of law enforcement experience between them.

Republican Donald Kramer of Geneva retired from the sheriff's department in 2009 as a lieutenant and hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father, George, who served as sheriff from 1978 to 1986.

He says the department can do more with less and wants more supervisors on the streets.

Willie Mayes Sr., an Aurora Democrat, is a lieutenant in the sheriff's department and has served as a correctional officer at the Kane County jail and the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Mayes touts a plan for his first 100 days in office as a way for residents to hold him accountable.

14th Congressional

The 14th Congressional District race features a rematch between incumbent Republican Randy Hultgren and Democratic challenger Dennis Anderson.

Hultgren won the first contest two years ago by 18 percentage points. That, and district lines drawn to favor a Republican, makes for an uphill battle for Anderson on Election Day.

Anderson campaigned on a platform that supports the Affordable Care Act, advocates compromise to end congressional dysfunction and views an increase to the minimum wage as an important spur for the economy.

Hultgren stands by his preference for repealing the Affordable Care Act, has major concerns about the influence of federal government via Common Core education requirements, and views American boots on the ground as a potential, though not preferred, method of combating the advance of the Islamic State in the Middle East.

50th House District

Oswego Republican Keith Wheeler is running against the former mayor of Yorkville, Democrat Valerie Burd, in the contest to replace Yorkville Republican Kay Hatcher in the state's 50th House District. Hatcher is stepping away after three terms.

Wheeler has campaigned on a platform of making Illinois' government more friendly to businesses, so they will stay in or move to the state.

Burd has called for reducing property taxes by shifting education funding on to a progressive income tax, saying doing so would put the burden on people who have the ability to pay it.

Kane County District 11

Residents in Kane County's 11th District are guaranteed new representation after the election Tuesday. Incumbent Mike Donahue is stepping down in accordance with a self-imposed term limit. That leaves his hand-picked successor, fellow Republican John Martin, or Democratic challenger Martha Hanna as the future representative of the district.

Martin says he supports most of Donahue's positions, including the current vision for the redevelopment of the old Settler's Hill landfill. He views plans for a new cross country track facility at the landfill as having big potential, but he's waiting for a complete cost/benefit analysis before throwing his full support behind the project.

Hanna views the track as both overly ambitious and overly intrusive to the natural setting of the Fabyan Parkway campus. She favors the creation of a butterfly habitat, honeybee hives and natural plantings as a more passive and beneficial use for the site.

11th Congressional

Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster faces off against Republican state Rep. Darlene Senger.

The two Naperville residents disagree on a variety of issues, including whether the Affordable Care Act has been a success.

Foster said the law is reducing the growth of health care costs while providing opportunities for people who were previously uninsurable. Senger says the law is "government at its worst" but doesn't believe it can be repealed because of the number of enrollees.

Senger, who decided not to seek re-election at the state level to make a bid for Congress, said she's open to immigration reform that would give people access to education and a chance to be part of the country. Foster, who is a proponent of comprehensive immigration reform, says he disagrees with Republicans who want to take a "piece-by-piece" approach to reforming immigration.

Foster supports increasing the minimum wage to help ensure that anyone who works 40 hours a week doesn't live in poverty. Senger said she's not against raising the minimum wage but wants "businesses and jobs and opportunities" in place that will help the economy grow.

The 11th District includes parts of Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will counties.

• Daily Herald staff writers Elena Ferrarin, Susan Sarkauskas and James Fuller contributed to this report.