Newcomers win MCC seats

In a heated campaign for McHenry County College board of trustees that attracted nine candidates for three 6-year terms, unofficial election results on Tuesday show newcomers Molly Walsh, Chris Jenner and Thomas W. Wilbeck as the winners.

With 100 percent of precincts in McHenry, Kane and Lake counties reporting, Walsh led the field with 13,227 votes, followed by Jenner with 9,912 votes and Wilbeck with 9,065 votes.

Walsh said she was overwhelmed by voters’ response.

“I feel very honored to have received the support of the community,” she said. “I look forward to working with my fellow trustees to help the college grow and serve the community as it should.”

Incumbents Barbara Walters 7,975 and Carol Larson received 7,844 votes and votes respectively, while newcomer Mike Smith received 7,881 votes.

Rounding out the field was Arne Waltmire with 4,556 votes; Erik Sivertsen with 3,760 votes and William Scott Alford with 3,389 votes.

The primary issue was a proposed $42 million expansion for a health sciences education building that would include a public health club as well as classroom and lab space. Jenner, Wilbeck, Smith and Waltmire said they were opposed to the expansion project, though Waltmire’s main opposition came not in expansion but in the alternative revenue bonds that may be used to pay for it, if approved.

Staff writer Barbara Vitello contributed to this report.