Challenger defeats Dundee Township highway commissioner in GOP primary
Incumbent Larry Braasch fell to challenger Scott Sinnett on Tuesday in the Republican primary race for Dundee Township highway commissioner.
Unofficial results showed Sinnett received 795 votes, while Braasch garnered 226. A third candidate, Michael Rogers, received 315 votes.
Sinnett will run unopposed in the April 4 consolidated election.
"I am deeply grateful to the voters of Dundee Township for trusting me with the operation of the road district," Sinnett said in a statement Tuesday night. "I will run the township highway department like I've run my business - with integrity, honesty and visible accountability."
Braasch, who has served in the post for 17 years and has worked at the township since 1988, has recently been under fire after residents claimed they paid him for new driveway culverts, but the township has no record of getting the money. The Kane County sheriff's office began investigating the highway department several months ago.
Braasch is also facing charges in South Carolina after being accused of touching himself in front of children at a campground last June. He said his arrest was a misunderstanding, and the status of the case is pending.
Sinnett, who has lived in the township since 1986, said he wants to improve transparency and efficiency in the department by working more closely with the supervisor's office. Having owned Barrington-based Sinnett Excavating for 30 years, he said he has experience managing employees and maintaining equipment in a cost-effective way.
Rogers, of Carpentersville, also ran on a platform of reforming the township government. Both challengers said they wanted to eliminate nepotism.
In the race for Dundee Township trustee, Marc Collura was edged out in the GOP primary with 586 votes, according to unofficial results. Nominations for the four open seats on the board went to current Supervisor Sue Harney, who received 950 votes; Kenneth Schaffer, 982 votes; George Johnson, 927 votes; and Richard Ahrens, 766 votes.
Grafton Township
Voters chose businessman Eric Ruth over current Grafton Township Trustee Joseph Holtorf as the Republican nominee for township supervisor. Unofficial results with all precincts reporting showed Ruth received 757 votes to Holtorf's 342.
Incumbent James Kearns, who was elected in November to the McHenry County Board, is not seeking re-election to his township post.
In the race for four available trustee seats, it was not clear in Tuesday night's unofficial results whether write-in candidates Linda Moore, a former township supervisor, or Matthew Cooper would appear on the April 4 ballot. McHenry County Clerk Mary McClellan said more information about write-in candidates in the primary would become available this week.
Moore's single 4-year term as supervisor several years ago was riddled with controversy, including lawsuits between her and both the four trustees and the road commissioner.
The other three Republican candidates for trustee include Sean Cratty, Thomas Welch and incumbent Daniel Ziller Jr.
Other races:
• Kathleen Watson was ahead of Dina Frigo in the race for the township clerk Republican nomination.
• Tom Poznanski received the GOP nod for highway commissioner after garnering more votes than Frank Kearns and Steven Stolzman, unofficial results showed.
Algonquin Township
Algonquin Township Clerk Charles Lutzow Jr., who is seeking a new role as township supervisor, appears to have come out victorious over Ellen Brady Mueller for the Republican nomination. Unofficial tallies with all precincts reporting showed Lutzow with 2,630 votes to his opponent's 2,366.
Additionally, McHenry County Board member Andrew Gasser narrowly beat out incumbent Highway Commissioner Bob Miller. Gasser won the GOP nod with 2,776 votes, while Miller received 2,631, according to unofficial results.
Other races:
• Karen Lukasik was chosen over Melissa Sanchez-Fischer in the primary race to replace Lutzow as clerk.
• Dan Shea, Melissa Victor, David Chapman and Rachael Lawrence will appear on the April 4 ballot for township board of trustees. They narrowly won the primary against Terence Ferenc, Russell Cardelli and Scott Taillet.
Aurora Township
In the Democratic primary Tuesday in Aurora Township, Juan Reyna won the nomination for highway commissioner with 1,533 votes, according to unofficial results with all precincts reporting. He beat out candidates Mark Semmler, Jason Owens and Kevin Allen Hale, who received 1,310, 918 and 586 votes, respectively.
Other races:
• Democratic candidates Juanita Wells, Brenda Hernandez, Dolores Hicks and David Moore will appear on the April 4 ballot for township board of trustees. They received more votes than Richard Leonard, Rigo Mendez and Helen Ratzlow in Tuesday's primary.