Gentes nabs Democratic bid for 26th District Senate

Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes has won the Democratic primary and will be on the November ballot for State Senate District 26.

Unofficial vote totals show he beat out Richard Hammes, 66, of North Barrington.

The winner will face Republican Dan Duffy of Lake Barrington in November. The seat has long been held by William Petersen, who is retiring.

Out of the total 187 precincts in this race, 10 are in Cook County, 42 in McHenry County and 135 in Lake County.

Unofficial results tabulated for all of the Cook and Lake precincts and 95 percent of McHenry precincts show Gentes with 58 percent of the vote and Hammes with 42 percent.

Gentes, 48, is a real estate executive. Hammes is a psychologist and management consultant.

One issue that divided the two Democratic candidates was whether more casinos and gambling options should be added in Illinois to help pay state bills.

Gentes says more casinos are the only option for the state to get more money and supports putting a casino in Waukegan.

Hammes, however, said that while he's not opposed to bigger or more casinos, they should not be the first option to raise money and is worried about too much gambling in the state.

The 26th District includes an area that stretches from Libertyville Township in Lake County west to Nunda, Dorr and McHenry townships in McHenry County, and south to part of Palatine Township in Cook County.

Gentes got 59 percent of the vote in Lake County, 55 percent in McHenry County and 59 percent in Cook County.