Just three primary races in Lake County legislative contests

Lake County voters will decide few state legislative primaries when they head to the polls in June.

They include a three-way race to replace Democratic state Rep. Sam Yingling in the 62nd House District. The Democratic primary field is Laura Faver Dias of Grayslake, Thomas Maillard of Waukegan and Terry Wilke of Round Lake Beach.

Dias is a Grayslake village board member, Maillard is director of government operations for the city of Waukegan, and Wilke has represented Lake County Board District 16 for 14 years, doubling as Avon Township supervisor for four of them.

Republican Adam Shores of Grayslake is likely to face the Democratic nominee in the November general election.

Yingling is vacating his House seat to run for the 31st Senate District seat being vacated by the retiring Democratic state Sen. Melinda Bush.

He'll face fellow Democrat and former state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen of Libertyville in the June 28 primary. Edly-Allen represented the 51st House District for one term before narrowly losing her 2020 reelection bid.

Yingling or Edly-Allen likely will face Republican Adam Solano in November.

Two Democrats have filed to try to unseat Republican Chris Bos in the 51st House District. Chelsea Laliberte Barnes of Palatine and Nabeela Syed of Inverness will face off in the June primary.

Laliberte Barnes is a social worker and founder and executive director of Live4Lali, an area nonprofit that seeks to help people affected by mental health and substance abuse issues.

Syed works for a nonprofit in digital strategy and has experience organizing Asian American voters in the recent U.S. Senate election in Georgia.

All state House and Senate seats are up for election this year. The matchups in other Lake County districts are set for the Nov. 8 general election.

In the 26th Senate District, incumbent Republican Senate Leader Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods will face Democratic challenger Maria Peterson of North Barrington.

Peterson is a newcomer to state politics. She ran in 2018 for the District 17 seat on the Lake County Board, losing to Republican Michael Danforth by about 650 votes. McConchie has represented the 26th Senate District since 2016.

In the 52nd House District, incumbent Martin McLaughlin, a Barrington Hills Republican, will face Democratic challenger Mary Morgan of Island Lake.

Morgan works in the curriculum and instruction office for Wauconda Unit District 118. McLaughlin, who previously was the village president of Barrington Hills, is seeking his second House term.

In the 61st House District, incumbent Joyce Mason, a Gurnee Democrat, will face Republican challenger Peter Pettorini of Lindenhurst.

Pettorini is an English teacher at Round Lake High School and was elected in 2021 to the Millburn Elementary District 24 board. Mason, who previously served on the Woodland Elementary School District 50 board, is seeking her third term in the House.

In the 63rd House District, incumbent Republican Steven Reick will face Democratic newcomer Brian Meyers of Crystal Lake.

Meyers is a retired teacher who serves as a precinct committeeman for the McHenry County Democratic Party.

Tom Weber, Lake Villa Republican, is the only candidate for either party running in the 64th House District contest. Weber has represented the district since 2019.

Though usually held in March, the primary this year was pushed back to June because the pandemic delayed the release of the 2020 census data.