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With vote tallies still incomplete, top McHenry County leaders emerge

Despite incomplete vote tallies, some candidates in top McHenry County Republican primary races are leading by a wide margin of votes.

Provisional ballots remained outstanding by Thursday afternoon, but unofficial tallies now include early voting, mail-in ballots and all precincts reporting. Here's the rundown:

County board chairman

Michael Walkup is the likely Republican nominee for McHenry County Board chairman, edging past incumbent Joe Gottemoller in the first primary race for the seat.

Walkup captured 23,976 votes to Gottemoller's 22,615.

Walkup, 66, a Crystal Lake attorney, also potentially received the Republican nod for one of two empty county board District 3 seats. He has said he would keep both positions so he can vote on county issues, if elected.

Voters in 2014 approved making the chairman's post an elected 4-year term. Until now, county board members have picked the chairman from among board members.

Gottemoller, 58, also a Crystal Lake attorney and District 3 board member whose term expires in 2018, had promised to resign from the board if elected chairman.

Because of the county's size, the chairman is not allowed to vote on county issues, even as a tiebreaker, unless he also holds a county board seat.

During the campaigns, Walkup pledged to work toward lowering county taxes, streamlining departments and cutting costs within the budget. Walkup also said he would retire from his attorney position to devote all his time to the chairman role.

State's attorney

Patrick Kenneally trounced Dan Regna and seemed likely to capture the Republican nomination for state's attorney with nearly twice the votes - 30,522 votes to Regna's 15,807 votes.

Incumbent Lou Bianchi, who has held the seat since 2004, dropped his re-election bid in December.

Kenneally, 37, who has been an assistant state's attorney for nine years, said tackling domestic violence and substance abuse are his priorities.

Regna, 51, a former assistant state's attorney, ran unsuccessfully against Bianchi in the 2008 primary.

Recorder of deeds

Woodstock resident Joe Tirio is likely to capture the Republican nomination for the office of recorder of deeds.

Tirio, 50, garnered 17,418 votes, giving him a substantial lead over Crystal Lake resident Joni Smith, 48, with 15,606 votes, and Woodstock resident Tina Hill, 55, with 12,638 votes.

Incumbent Phyllis Walters, who has served the position since 1984, is not seeking re-election.

The recorder's office is responsible for maintaining and retrieving real estate records, documents and plats of subdivision in McHenry County.

Tirio has vowed to eliminate the recorder of deeds position to save money, if elected to the 4-year term, and merging the recorder's functions with the county clerk's office.

House 66th District

Allen Skillicorn, 41, an East Dundee village trustee, is the likely Republican nominee for the 2-year House 66th District seat being vacated by incumbent Republican Mike Tryon.

Skillicorn led with 4,787 votes, followed by Carolyn Schofield with 4,181 votes, Dan Wilbrandt with 3,933 votes, and Paul Serwatka with 1,589 votes.

House 63rd District

Steven Reick could likely earn the Republican nod for the seat.

Reick garnered 8,718 votes while Jeffery Lichte received 5,990. Reick, a Harvard tax attorney, ran in 2014 for the same seat against longtime Democratic incumbent state Rep. Jack Franks and lost.

McHenry County clerk apologizes for election issues

Latest McHenry County Board election results

Patrick Kenneally
Allen Skillicorn
Steven Reick
Joe Tirio
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