Democrats leading in most Kane County Board races

Kane County voters on Tuesday decided contested races in 10 Kane County Board districts. Meanwhile, candidates in three other districts ran unopposed.

Taxes, affordability, public safety and data centers were among the top issues for candidates seeking seats on the 24-member county board.

Here is a look at the voting results as of 9:40 p.m.

District 2

In the race to fill an unexpired 2-year term in District 2, unofficial vote totals showed Democrat Ellen Nottke leading with 61.6% of the vote over Kelly Burke, an independent, with 38.4%.

Nottke, of Batavia, said during the campaign that voters in the district are concerned about taxes, affordable housing and safety. If elected, Nottke said her goals include limiting data centers and improving transportation to rural parts of the area.

Burke, of Elburn, cited data centers, infrastructure and energy, and development and open space as top issues. If elected, Burke said she wants to focus on limiting data centers, energy issues and economic development.

District 3

In the race for the District 3 seat, unofficial vote totals showed Democratic incumbent Anita Lewis leading with roughly 76.1% of the vote to 23.9% for independent challenger Guy Bodie.

Lewis, of Aurora, is seeking her third term on the board. During the campaign, she said voters are concerned about inflation and a lack of affordable housing.

Bodie, of Aurora, said district residents are concerned about taxes and data centers. He said he wants to see a moratorium on data centers.

District 5

In a very tight race, Republican incumbent Bill Lenert narrowly trailed Democratic challenger Philip Silagi by a margin of just 5 votes in the race for the District 5 seat, according to unofficial vote totals.

Lenert, of Sugar Grove, is seeking his fourth term on the county board. He said taxes and data centers are among the top issues for voters. Silagi, of Aurora, said during the campaign that residents are concerned about tax fairness, data centers and managing local water resources.

District 9

Republican incumbent Jennifer Abbatacola (49.4%) trailed Democratic challenger Marc Guttke (50.6%) by 122 votes in the race for the District 9 seat, according to unofficial vote totals.

Abbatacola, who was appointed to fill the District 9 seat in February 2026, said during the campaign that she’s focused on finding efficiencies in the county budget. Guttke said the most important issues facing the district are budgeting and fiscally responsible spending.

District 11

In the race for a District 11 seat, unofficial vote totals showed Democrat Julie Forbes leading with 62.9% of the vote over Republican William C. Collins with roughly 37.1%.

Forbes, of Geneva, said residents are concerned about the economy, affordable housing, the environment and data centers. Collins, of Geneva, said voters are concerned about financial stability, their tax bills and having adequate funding for veterans’ programs and mental health initiatives in the community.

District 13

Unofficial vote totals showed Democrat Nicolas G. "Nico" Jimenez leading with 57.8% of the vote over Republican Ryan Deniz with roughly 42.2% in the race for the District 13 seat.

Jimenez, of Geneva, focused on addressing the county’s mental health and housing needs. He proposed creating county-run mental health crisis response teams and addiction and housing-first initiatives.

Republican Ryan Deniz, of Geneva, focused on economic development and fiscal conservatism. He said promoting economic growth is key to increasing county revenues without further burdening taxpayers.

District 15

Republican incumbent David Young trailed Democratic challenger Kate Monteleone by a margin of 96 votes, about 50.5% to 49.5%, in the race for the District 15 seat, according to unofficial vote totals.

District 19

In the race for the District 19 seat, Democratic incumbent Mohammad " Mo " Iqbal is leading with 62.9% of the vote over Republican challenger Steve Serafin with 37.1%, according to unofficial vote totals.

Iqbal is a two-term incumbent who has advocated for upgrading transportation infrastructure in northern Kane County. Serafin cited government accountability and taxes as his top issues.

District 21

In the race for the District 21 seat, Republican incumbent Clifford Surges trailed Democrat Deborah Chabi by about 13 percentage points, 56.3% to 43.7%, according to unofficial vote totals.

Surges, of Gilberts, is a two-term incumbent, and Chabi is a political newcomer.

Surges has pushed for the county to dedicate more resources to its faster-growing northern communities. Chabi, of East Dundee, campaigned on environmental issues and ensuring that development has minimal impact on the county’s natural resources.

District 23

Democratic incumbent Christopher Kious was leading with 60.8% of the votes to 39.2% for Republican challenger Emmanuel Thomas, according to unofficial vote totals.

Kious, of Algonquin, has served two terms on the board. He said taxes, safety and the environment are some top concerns. Thomas, of Algonquin, said people in the district are concerned about taxes and safety.

Uncontested races

Democratic incumbents Myrna Molina, Alex Arroyo and Deborah Allan ran unopposed in Districts 1, 7 and 17, respectively.

rwest@dailyherald.com