July 10, 2025
Shaw Local
Election NewsSubscribeeNewspaperLocal Events CalendarGames and Puzzles
Election

Will County Dems again enjoy mail-in advantage, but GOP holds on to some gains

New County Board takes office Dec. 5 with 11-11 split between Dems and GOP

By Bob Okon
Election 2024
A worker wears a tee shirt about mail in voting as Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry gives instructions before the counting of mail in ballots on Tuesday at the Will County Office Building.

A worker wears a tee shirt about mail-in before the start of a count of 6,474 mail-in votes at the Will County Office Building on Tuesday.. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

Will County Treasurer Tim Brophy said he had been told by “the pundits” to expect a big advantage in the late mail-in vote count that typically benefits Democratic candidates.

Was he confident?

“I am now,” Brophy said Tuesday after a count of more than 6,400 mail-in votes not counted before Election Day turned his defeat into victory.

Brophy, like other Democratic and Republican candidates, had to experience the mail-in effect to realize its impact even after being advised what to expect based on past elections.

“I was given the numbers by the party, but I wasn’t confident,” Associate Judge Jessica Colon-Sayre said. “I had to see it to believe it.”N

Colon-Sayre saw a 1,430-vote deficit on election night Nov. 8 turn into a 1,322-vote lead and probable victory over attorney Bob Bodach after the Tuesday count of mail-in ballots.

Democrat candidate for Will County Judge Jessica Colon-Sayre, front center, waits as mail in ballots are counted on Tuesday at the Will County Office Building.

Democrat candidate for Will County Judge Jessica Colon-Sayre, front center, waits as mail in ballots are counted on Tuesday at the Will County Office Building. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

The last votes will be counted Nov. 22, but not enough are remaining to make a difference.

Mail-in votes postmarked by Election Day still are trickling in, but there were only 206 of them as of Friday. Another 587 mail-in ballots remain to be counted.

The mail-in count took away what would have been big gains made by Republicans in Will County offices if election night results would have held up.

Instead, Democratic incumbents held on to the treasurer’s and sheriff’s office.

Republican Elizabeth Caparelli-Ruff, however, held on to her victory over incumbent Regional Superintendent of Schools Shawn Walsh. The election will make Caparelli-Ruff the only Republican to hold a countywide office in Will County.

Caparelli-Ruff will take office in July. The term for that office runs on a different calendar than other county offices, in which the new terms begin in December.

A worker feeds mail in votes into the ballot machine on Tuesday at the Will County Office Building.

A worker feeds mail in votes into the ballot machine on Tuesday at the Will County Office Building. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

Republicans also held on to gains on the Will County Board, which now is evenly split 11-11 between both parties.

Democrats had a 14-12 majority on the County Board, which has been made smaller by four seats after a redrawn map reduced 13 districts to 11.

The new board will take office Dec. 1.

Democrats will maintain an advantage despite no longer having a board majority. Tie votes on the board are broken by a vote from the Will County executive, who is Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat.

Brophy and incumbent Sheriff Mike Kelley will begin their next terms Dec. 1.

Kelley will start his third term after defeating Jim Reilly, a Will County Sheriff’s deputy, for a second time.

Reilly saw a 289-vote lead on election night turn into a 2,144-vote deficit Tuesday.

“I’m disappointed with the end results,” Reilly said Tuesday.

However, he expressed thanks to his supporters.

“I’m going to keep working hard for the people of Will County,” Reilly said.