McHenry Republican Craig Wilcox wins 32nd state Senate seat

McHenry Republican Craig Wilcox held off Democratic challenger Mary Mahady for the 32nd Illinois Senate seat, unofficial vote totals showed Tuesday. With all 38 Lake County precincts reporting and 92 percent of 114 McHenry County precincts reporting, Wilcox had 28,054 votes, around 57.2 percent of the total, and Mahady had 20,966, about 42.8 percent.

No early, mail-in or provisional ballots have been counted in Lake County yet.

Wilcox, 51, is a retired colonel in the Air Force and an applied ethical leadership and command instructor with Air University. Wilcox was technically the incumbent in the race because former state Sen. Pam Althoff, a Republican, relinquished her seat Sept. 30. McHenry and Lake County GOP officials appointed Wilcox as her replacement after he served two years on the McHenry County Board.

Althoff, who represented the district since 2003, announced two years ago she would not seek re-election. Instead, she ran unopposed for a McHenry County Board seat.

Mahady, 59, of McHenry, is the McHenry Township assessor.

The totals remain unofficial until the votes are canvassed at a later date.