Democrat Johnson leading in Kane County sheriff election

Amy Johnson is leading in her effort to become the first woman to be a sheriff in Kane County, according to unofficial election results.

As of 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, unofficial totals showed Johnson, a Democrat from Sugar Grove, with 63,187 votes and her Republican opponent Rob Russell with 31,426 votes.

Russell, of Hampshire, had served 12 years as Kane County’s coroner until he lost in 2024.

Ron Hain, who retired Nov. 1 due to health problems, did not seek reelection.

Hain, a Democrat, had endorsed Johnson early on. But over the weekend, his wife posted on their joint Facebook account, urging voters to vote for Russell.

Hain went on medical leave in April without informing the public, and he has not responded to reporters’ requests for comment. But in June, reporters obtained an email Johnson sent staff, announcing Hain had been hospitalized and that she was in command.

Johnson began working for the sheriff’s office as an intern in 2003, then became a civilian evidence technician. As a deputy, she was a field training officer, a grant writer and a juvenile officer.

She was promoted to undersheriff in October 2022. Johnson has never held elected office.

Russell worked for the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office from 1993 until his retirement in 2012. While in DuPage, he served in the corrections, law enforcement and court security bureaus.

Since losing the coroner seat, he has worked as a police officer, currently at Harper College.

Russell was critical of Johnson’s refusal to publicly announce Hain’s absence. He said that while the public did not need to know the medical details of Hain’s condition, the people deserved to know the man they had elected was not on the job.

Johnson said running the office the last six months had shown she had the leadership skills for the job. She said she followed advice from Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser regarding what could be said about Hain’s absence.

During the campaign, Johnson said she would prioritize strengthening the county’s response to mental health crises, via the state’s Community Emergency Services and Support Act. The 2021 law requires emergency response operators to refer calls seeking mental and behavioral health support to a new service that can dispatch a team of mental health professionals instead of police.

“Too often, law enforcement becomes the primary response to situations that are better addressed through behavioral health services,” Johnson said.

She said that by improving coordination among agencies and expanding crisis intervention team training, “This investment would improve outcomes for individuals in crisis, reduce repeat calls for service, support deputies and first responders, and connect people to treatment before situations escalate.”

Russell cited his experience running the coroner’s office, including developing its budgets. He battled with former county board Chairman Christopher Lauzen over the office’s operation and funding.

There have been few female sheriffs in Illinois, according to the Illinois Sheriffs Association.

In 1928, Helena Dolder was appointed sheriff after her husband died while in office. She was subsequently elected. Emma “Two-Gun” M. Grebner was elected sheriff of Jo Daviess County in 1954.

And Sangamon County Paula Crouch, who was appointed to office in 2024 in the wake of the Sonya Massey murder by a Sangamon deputy, is on Tuesday’s ballot.

ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com