March 28, 2024
Local News | The Times


Local News

GOP dispute over La Salle County votes to be settled at noon Friday

Judge pledges to settle election flap before retiring at day's end

A hearing on two disputed La Salle County races was postponed until noon Friday, but the judge pledged this will be it.

Thursday, Judge Robert Marsaglia resumed the matter of the La Salle County GOP’s attempt to reverse the state’s attorney and state representative results from Nov. 3. But when the 4:30 p.m. hearing arrived, the judge and attorney for La Salle County Clerk Lori Bongartz found the GOP’s lawyer had amended the pleadings.

Marsaglia agreed to give Bongartz lawyer Matt Krueger overnight to amend his response accordingly for a hearing now set for lunchtime Friday. That’s Marsaglia’s last day before retirement, and he said he plans to put the matter to rest once and for all.

“Everyone knows this is my last day, but I feel compelled to get this issue revolved before 4:30 (p.m. Friday),” the judge said.

As previously reported, the La Salle County Republican Central Committee has challenged the validity of mail-in votes that weren’t immediately tabulated on Election Night but which then swung the two races in favor of Democrats Todd Martin, now La Salle County state’s attorney, and state Rep. Lance Yednock.

Martin received 27,206 votes to Republican incumbent Karen Donnelly's 25,111 — a difference of 2,095 votes. Yednock received 21,849 of his 27,289 votes from La Salle County in the four-county race, while opponent Travis Breeden received 18,365 of 22,911 votes from La Salle County. Overall Yednock has a 4,378 vote difference — 3,484 within La Salle County.

Tom Collins

Tom Collins

Tom Collins covers criminal justice in La Salle County.