Last Republicans standing: How the Trump effect grew Dems suburban footprint, devastated GOP

Tuesday’s election surge for Democrats not only sacked prominent Republican politicians nationwide, but caused a ripple effect for suburban GOP staples.

The tide against President Donald Trump’s policies ousted myriad moderate and MAGA Republican state lawmakers from the region, experts on both sides agreed.

Collateral damage also trickled down to local races, with several contests trending Democrat in traditionally conservative McHenry County, DuPage County’s GOP contingent shrinking from six to one, and the Cook County Board set to go completely blue.

“I believe (voters) were thinking about Donald Trump and the White House,” said state Sen. Seth Lewis, a moderate Republican from Bartlett who lost Tuesday to Democrat Ben McAdams.

“And that’s all the majority was thinking about, and they took it out on everyone. It’s disappointing — that the hatred for one person tainted the good that other people contributed,” Lewis said.

McHenry County Democratic organizer Kristina Zahorik said, “in regard to the suburbs, it's a similar story. An absolute rejection of the Trump regime, coupled with strong candidates that reflect their districts who were in the field talking to and listening to voters.”

Other Illinois Senate Republicans suffering defeat were Sen. Craig Lewis of McHenry and Sen. Darby Hills of Barrington Hills, who engaged in a fiery battle with Democratic Rep. Nabeela Syed of Inverness.

The district of outgoing moderate GOP Sen. Don DeWitte of St. Charles also went blue.

The Republican wilt continued in the House, with state Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills, state Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro of Hanover Park and Rep. Dan Ugaste of Geneva losing to Democrats.

And in the once-reliably Republican 47th District, Democrat Erica Bray-Parker of Wheaton took the seat vacated by Republican Amy Grant.

Election tallies are unofficial and reflect decisions by The Associated Press.

College of DuPage political science Professor Melissa Mouritsen thinks the shellacking is about more than Trump pushback.

“I think there’s two equally important parts. One is that it was a resounding rebuke of MAGA politics. The suburbs said, ‘This is not us,’” Mouritsen said.

Two, “we cannot underestimate how hard people on the ground were working and have been pounding the pavement.”

Some Republicans who tried to gin up the vote with warnings about a Socialist takeover didn’t get the public’s mood, she added.

“A lot of people are just tired of the culture war stuff,” Mouritsen said.

Bluer DuPage

In DuPage, Democrats secured all five county board seats at stake, leaving the party with a 17-1 majority come Dec. 1.

Dems also landed the sheriff’s and treasurer’s offices.

A decade ago, Republicans had a 17-1 majority in DuPage and held every countywide office.

Tuesday’s wins included an upset in District 6, where the board’s longest-serving member, Republican Jim Zay, lost to political newcomer Jesse Gutierrez.

The tone and rhetoric at the national level trickled down to local races, Zay said. “It does wear on Republican candidates when (Democrats) have negative ads comparing them to Trump.”

The economy also weighed heavily.

“People don’t care about XYZ,” he said. “They care about their families and how much it’s costing to put gas in their car or how much it’s costing to buy groceries.”

Last Republican standing

Kane County Treasurer Christopher Lauzen, a former board chair and state senator, and longtime county Clerk Jack Cunningham lost decisively to Democratic opponents, leaving Recorder of Deeds Sandy Wegman as the only countywide GOP officeholder.

Preliminary results also indicate four Republican board members won’t be reelected.

If that occurs, it would leave the 24-member board with just three Republicans. That’s a far cry from 10 years ago, when there were 15 Republicans and nine Democrats.

Kane County Democrats Chair Mark Guethle attributed the gains to hard work and a “message that resonated with voters.”

“Voters rejected MAGA,” Guethle said.

Democratic voters in Lake County flipped three GOP county board seats, which will leave just two Republicans standing, officials said.

In McHenry County, typically a Republican bastion, voters favored Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker over GOP rival Darren Bailey by 53% to 42% — a reversal from the 2022 general election.

Preliminary results show McHenry County Clerk Joseph Tirio, a staunch Trump supporter, lost.

Meanwhile, five GOP-held county board seats appear poised to turn blue, said Zahorik, former McHenry County Democratic Party chair.

“I think it was a rejection of Trump and his corruption, coupled with rejection of local Republican rule,” that raised concerns about a budget deficit and raises for county officials, Zahorik said.

Along with boots on the ground, the local party “refused to take any area for granted or lost.”

mpyke@dailyherald.com

Daily Herald staff reporters Susan Sarkauskas and Mick Zawislak and freelance writer Alicia Fabbre contributed to this report.