Penny Wegman in lead in Kane County treasurer race

Penny Wegman appears to have ousted incumbent Chris Lauzen in the race for Kane County treasurer, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election.

With all precincts reporting, unofficial results from the Kane County Clerk’s Office Tuesday night show Wegman, a Democrat, receiving almost 61% of the votes and her Republican opponent Lauzen getting a little over 39%.

As of Tuesday night, almost 168,000 ballots had been cast — a little more than 57% of the county’s roughly 292,000 registered voters, according to numbers from the clerk’s office.

Wegman secured the Democratic nomination in the treasurer’s race in the March primary, defeating opponents Connie Cain and Scott Johansen.

A longtime Elgin resident, she has been Kane County’s auditor since 2020, when she ousted incumbent Terry Hunt.

She previously served as a Kane County Board member, president of the Kane County Regional School Board and as a Gail Borden Public Library District trustee.

Lauzen, meanwhile, was elected Kane County’s treasurer in 2022. He was unopposed in the Republican primary election in March.

A lifelong Aurora resident and certified public accountant, Lauzen previously served as a state senator in the 21st and 25th districts. He also served as the Kane County Board chair from 2012 until 2020, when he withdrew from his reelection bid.

mmorrow@chicagotribune.com