Fox Valley voters to decide primary races
How Fox Valley residents cast their votes today won't determine who will represent them for the next two to four years. But it will determine who won't be on the ballot come November.
You'll be able to weigh in on candidates for Congress, state Senate, county sheriff, county board and some other races, depending on where you live and which party's ballot you pull.
Perhaps the biggest race Fox Valley voters will decide on Tuesday is between 14th Congressional District Republicans Ethan Hastert and Randy Hultgren.
Hastert and Hultgren have nearly identical views on most issues. The lone exception for most of the race was Hultgren's support for tax credits to create jobs and spur economic growth. Hastert views tax credits as more paperwork for businesses.
In the final weeks of the campaign, Hastert said he would not report an in-kind donation from an employee of his father, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Meanwhile, Hultgren apologized after sending out a mailer trying to tie Hastert to human trafficking via companies his law firm lobbies for.
In the state Senate 25th District, incumbent Republican Chris Lauzen is fighting off a challenge from Sugar Grove Village President Sean Michels.
While Lauzen touted his independence from his party, Michels charged that Lauzen's differences with Republican leadership have made it difficult for him to work effectively for his constituents.
In the Republican race for McHenry County sheriff, incumbent Keith Nygren faces a bitter challenge from Zane Seipler, a former deputy Nygren fired in 2008.
While Seipler was relentlessly critical of Nygren's leadership, Nygren charged that the 37-year-old Seipler's relative inexperience and the incidents that led to his firing make him unfit for office.
The race for a GOP nomination for Kane County sheriff has been more civil, pitting retired Kane County Lt. Don Kramer against DuPage County Sheriff's Deputy Rob Russell.
Kramer supports a larger police force and using more of the county jail's cell blocks; Russell says the county has enough officers and needs to become more efficient.
In the Republican race for Kane County treasurer, incumbent David Rickert faces a challenge from Bob Kovanic, who believes he can make the office more efficient.
Rickert has pledged to improve transparency, pointing to steps he has already taken in posting information on the county Web site.
On the Kane County Board, incumbent Deborah Allan faces challenger Benjamin Bernal in the Democratic primary for the Elgin-based 17th District. On the Republican side, incumbent John Fahy faces former board member Lee Barrett in District 21; newcomers Maggie Auger and Donald Moore face off in District 23; and the District 25 race pits incumbent Robert Kudlicki against Thomas "TR" Smith.
In McHenry County, the following candidates are contending in the GOP primary: Yvonne Barnes, Anna May Miller and Robert Nowak in District 1; Ken Koehler, Lyn Orphal, Sandra DePaul, Donna Kurtz and Brady Mueller in District 2; Tina Hill, John Jung and David Frederick in District 5; Dan Ryan, Mary McCann, Diane Evertsen, Richard Draper and Victor Narusis in District 6; Barb Wheeler, Nick Provenzano, Veronica Armstrong, Craig Steagall and Karen Tynis in District 3.
Voters in East Dundee will weigh in on video gambling in a nonbinding referendum, while residents of the Hampshire Park District will decide on a $4.9 million bond issue and tax increase, both of which would fund the redevelopment and maintenance of two parks.