Canty and Grasse hold large leads in Arlington Heights-area state rep races
Two Democratic state legislators from Arlington Heights held large leads over their Republican opponents late Tuesday night.
State Rep. Mary Beth Canty led Michele Hunter 24,989 votes to 18,375 votes in the 54th District race, according to early returns.
In the neighboring 53rd District, state Rep. Nicolle Grasse led Ronald Andermann 21,988 votes to 16,932 votes, unofficial results late Tuesday showed.
The 54th contest was a reprise of two years ago, when Canty, then an Arlington Heights village trustee, defeated Hunter, an insurance attorney from Arlington Heights.
Canty, also a former member of the Regional Transportation Authority board of directors, said she would focus on public transportation in the next legislative term. She favors a merger of the three local transit agencies.
“I know all too well what that looming fiscal cliff looks like, and I am also keenly aware that we need a massive change to governance there,” Canty said. “We cannot provide fiscal relief without taking a strong look at how those funds are managed, who is managing them and the services that they are providing, and making sure that they are providing enough services out in the suburbs.”
Grasse, an Arlington Heights trustee since 2021, was appointed to the 53rd District seat in June, when Mark Walker left to fill the 27th District Senate seat. She is simultaneously holding onto her trustee seat until May.
Andermann, a retired engineer and attorney from Arlington Heights, got on the ballot after the state Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision that threw out a Democrat-backed law banning party slating of candidates if no one ran in a primary. He decried the overturned law as an attempt to limit voter choice and consolidate power.
The 54th District encompasses the north side of Arlington Heights, plus portions of Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and Palatine. The 53rd District includes the south side of Arlington Heights and portions of Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg and Palatine.