Lake County board Dist. 5

Lake Board, District 5, GOP

Since Republican Bonnie Thomson Carter was first elected in 1996 to represent the residents in Lake County Board District 5, she has secured $33 million in road improvements. She has helped acquire 8,200 acres of forest preserve land from willing sellers, land that otherwise might have become residential developments that would have placed more stress on already overburdened schools, roads and other government services. She has worked to secure $11.3 million in local projects for affordable senior housing, protection of aquifers and water-quality improvements.

Of benefit to residents throughout Lake County, Carter was part of a group that passed a measure loosening restrictions on the way school officials could spend developer impact money.

Carter, 52, is part of a county board that has passed balanced budgets. That is no small feat when you consider that neighboring counties are operating in the red. Looking ahead, Carter pledges to work for more road improvements, more land for open space and more progress on solving the county's long-term water issues.

Carter is endorsed in the GOP primary. This district serves Fox Lake, Ingleside, Lakemoor, Volvo and Wauconda.

Carter's opponent, 39-year-old Kirk Denz of unincorporated Lake County near Ingleside, also has a proven track record of fighting for his causes. Most recently, he's led the charge to reverse the no-wake zone on Wooster Lake. But The Friends of Wooster Lake group has endorsed Carter, so there are affected residents who do not agree with Denz.

Carter has done well in representing the residents in all of District 5. Her list of accomplishments is long and impressive.

No Democrat has filed to run in District 5.