Mary Mahady: 2022 candidate for McHenry County Clerk

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office sought: McHenry County Clerk

City: McHenry

Age: 63

Occupation: McHenry Township Assessor

Previous offices held: None

Q&A

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

I am running for McHenry County Clerk/Recorder because we need to elect someone that is committed to focusing on and providing the attention to detail and transparency the responsibilities of this office demands. The current clerk has a well-documented history of problems in every election under his direction, including incorrect ballots and inaccurate results. These are mistakes that would have been avoided with the proper preparation and attention to details. It is time to restore trust and confidence in our local election process and voters can count on me to do this right.

If you are an incumbent, describe two important initiatives you've led. If you're not an incumbent, describe two ways you would contribute to the position.

The office will benefit from my reputation for fairness, honesty, and integrity just as I was able to do when I became the McHenry Township Assessor. Through my work as a local real estate agent and community involvement, I earned a reputation for someone who could be depended on to get the job done. I was asked to step into leadership roles in the McHenry Pigtail League and my condominium HOA to turn things around and get things back on track, which I did. As County Clerk/Recorder, I will give the attention to detail needed to correctly run elections and accurately prepare property tax bills so no one pays more than they should. I will provide thorough and detailed reports to the County Board and be transparent in all aspects of the job. I will work to make the office more customer service oriented including a website that gives residents all the information they need in a timely manner. I know what needs to be done and you can count on me to do it

How secure are you in the knowledge that election results in the county are reported fairly and accurately?

Based on the mismanagement of the last several elections in McHenry County, I am not at all confident the current clerk is capable of making the necessary changes to prevent making the same mistakes, or worse, new ones. These mistakes, which he refers to as glitches, have reduced confidence in the election process in our county. As a voter, my lack of confidence is with the current County Clerk, not with the overall electoral process.