Races to watch Tuesday in Lake County
The names of the candidates at the top of Tuesday's primary ballot are well known to voters by now.
But beyond those running for U.S. president, congress or senate are some local races and issues that should generate interest. State and countywide offices are in play as candidates seek to represent their party in the November general election.
In Lake County, two local races in particular should be of interest to voters - the state Senate District 26 Republican primary and the Democratic primary for state's attorney.
Senate District 26
With state Sen. Dan Duffy declining to run again after eight years in Springfield, three Republicans rushed to fill the vacuum.
Duffy has endorsed Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods, who is running in the GOP primary along with Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin and Mettawa Mayor Casey Urlacher.
The campaign has at times descended into negative attacks in which the candidates have argued about who is and is not a legitimate Republican or conservative.
Urlacher, brother of Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher, says he can provide fresh conservative leadership in the statehouse. He is in his third year as Mettawa mayor and was appointed by former Gov. Pat Quinn to the Illinois Civil Service Commission.
McConchie, the vice president of government affairs for Americans United For Life, a national anti-abortion legal advocacy group, says he is a political outsider and national legislative expert. Along with Duffy, he has been endorsed by four other state senators, 10 state representatives and statewide gun rights and anti-abortion groups.
McLaughlin, who owns an investment advisory firm and oversees the investment of public and private pension assets, campaigns on his knowledge of pensions and his three years of experience running Barrington Hills. His most notable endorsements have been from local mayors and village presidents within the district.
The 26th state Senate district covers 253 square miles, including large portions of central and southwest Lake County, plus parts of northwest Cook County, northeast Kane County, and southeast McHenry County.
Lake County state's attorney
Michael Perillo Jr., 60, of Grayslake, is a veteran attorney of more than 30 years whose experience includes two years each as a felony prosecutor with the Lake County state's attorney's office and with the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps.
Matthew Stanton, 54, of Gurnee, has been an attorney for 12 years but has no experience as a prosecutor.
Perillo has said Stanton's lack of experience could lead him to be soft on violent crime.
Stanton disagrees, saying he would be “smart on crime” by assigning appropriate charges on criminal cases. He also said having not worked in the office is a benefit because he has no professional connections that would prevent him from making difficult decisions.
During the campaign, Stanton said Melissa Calusinski, who is serving a 31-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2011 of killing a toddler at a Lincolnshire day care center, should receive a new trial because her defense attorney says there is new evidence.
Perillo said Stanton shouldn't comment on a case that has not been decided in court.
Both candidates say Republican incumbent Michael Nerheim has not done enough to prevent wrongful convictions in Lake County, and each offers ideas to address the issue.
Perillo said he would create an in-house committee of senior attorneys - instead of Nerheim's outside volunteer panel - to review and monitor prosecution of serious felony cases. Stanton said a complete overhaul of office personnel is needed.
Daily Herald staff writers Doug Graham and Lee Filas contributed