Curran concedes in Lake sheriff's race, nine months after election

Former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran on Saturday finally conceded last November's election to John Idleburg, a Zion Democrat, two days into a four-day recount of selected precincts that he had sought.

The three-term incumbent Republican was ousted by 137 votes out of 245,633 that were cast as a Democratic wave swept the suburbs.

The process leading to a recount began in December, when Curran, of Libertyville, filed with the court a request to review the votes cast in the Nov. 6 election. Curran's legal team requested a recount of 66 precincts, at a cost of about $15,000, and the request was recently granted.

Lake County Clerk Robin O'Conner said it was the first large-scale recount in Illinois since 2003 and the first in Lake County. The recount began Thursday and was to continue through Tuesday.

"After manually and electronically reviewing the ballots cast in approximately 60% of the electoral precincts which were court-ordered to be recounted, it is clear to me that, even though the tally of total votes cast for Lake County Sheriff will likely be modified from the previously reported 137-vote difference, a further recount will not result in a change in the outcome of the election," Curran said in a news release.

Idleburg welcomed the announcement.

"I am glad Mr. Curran confirmed what we already knew when the election was certified in November," he said in a news release.

Curran said serving as sheriff "has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime, and I wish Sheriff Idleburg and the men and women of the Lake County Sheriff's office … all the best."