McHenry County officeholders announce reelection plans

McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio said Thursday he is running for reelection.

In a news release, Tirio, a Republican, said he was “aiming to continue his service to the people of McHenry County.”

Tirio was first elected as county clerk in 2018 and was elected recorder in 2016. He holds both offices, which merged in 2020. Tirio touted the merger in his reelection announcement, and also mentioned a hand-counted ballot audit he conducted. In 2022, Tirio’s office did a hand recount of a random race in the June primary, and Tirio, whose office oversees elections in McHenry County, said that year he thought the county was the first to do it.

“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, but there’s still much to be done,” Tirio said in Thursday’s news release. “I look forward to continuing the progress and serving my community with dedication and integrity.”

Tirio is the third McHenry County county officeholder to confirm plans to run for reelection in 2026. Sheriff Robb Tadelman, a Republican first elected in 2022, said Wednesday he is seeking a second term, and Regional Superintendent Diana Hartmann, who was first appointed in 2022 and ran for a full term that year, confirmed Wednesday she was running for reelection.

Treasurer Donna Kurtz said Thursday she is planning to seek reelection. Kurtz, a Republican, was first elected in 2022. Democrat Amin Karim, whom Kurtz defeated in 2022, also announced another run.

Republicans hold all of the countywide elected offices in McHenry County and have a 15-3 supermajority on the McHenry County Board.

Candidates can start circulating petitions next month, and the filing period is Oct. 27 to Nov. 3. The primary election will be held March 17.