Decision expected next week in tight Walsh Miller, Edly-Allen race
Democratic state representative candidate Mary Edly-Allen and Republican incumbent Helene Miller Walsh expect a final vote count in their tight race next week.
Edly-Allen leads Miller Walsh by just two votes - 25,112 to 25,110 - in their race for the 51st House District seat. The district includes all or portions of the Barrington area, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, Libertyville and Mundelein.
Miller Walsh said she's been informed that Lake County's process of tabulating provisional and late-arriving mail ballots will be completed Nov. 20 and publicly released Nov. 21. Those votes already have been added to the total in Cook County, where Edly-Allen topped Miller Walsh 167 to 118.
"The (Lake County) clerk's office is doing an outstanding job to confirm receipt of all ballots and verify signatures," Miller Walsh said Monday.
Edly-Allen, a teacher from Libertyville, issued a statement saying she wants to "make sure every vote is counted."
Miller Walsh had a strong lead in last week's election until Lake County counted early and mail ballots, which favored Edly-Allen.
Lake County Clerk Carla Wyckoff could not be reached for comment Monday. Her office was closed for Veterans Day.
Miller Walsh, a Mundelein-area resident, was appointed in August to replace Republican state Rep. Nick Sauer of Lake Barrington, who resigned amid accusations he posted naked photographs of an ex-girlfriend over social media without her knowledge. Sauer's term expires in January.
In another tight race, GOP state Rep. Tom Morrison still leads Democratic challenger Maggie Trevor for the 54th House District seat, but the gap has narrowed from almost 500 votes late last week to 242 votes on Monday.
Morrison, an eight-year incumbent from Palatine, had 22,322 votes to 22,080 for Trevor, a first-time candidate from Rolling Meadows, according to unofficial totals from the Cook County clerk's office.
The 54th District includes portions of Arlington Heights, Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and South Barrington.
• Daily Herald staff writer Christopher Placek contributed to this report.