:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/UPBPAZOWIZC3BNOMW26T2LK6GU.jpg)
Most of the McHenry County Board members whose seats are up next year are planning to run for reelection.
The county board has 18 members from nine districts after the board’s downsizing took effect in 2022.
Nine members and Chair Mike Buehler were up for reelection in 2024 and nine members, the highest vote-getters in their district in 2022, will be up in 2026. The Republican Party currently holds a 15-3 supermajority on the board.
Who is up and where is their district?
- District 1: Matt Kunkle, R-Algonquin. Kunkle’s district is in southeastern McHenry County and includes all or parts of Algonquin, Fox River Grove, Cary, Barrington Hills and Trout Valley.
- District 2: Gloria Van Hof, D-Crystal Lake. Van Hof’s district is in southeastern McHenry County and includes all or parts of Crystal Lake, Cary, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin and Lakewood.
- District 3: Carolyn Campbell, D-Crystal Lake. Campbell’s district is in south central McHenry County includes all or parts of Lake in the Hills, Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Huntley and Lakewood.
- District 4: Joe Gottemoller, R-Crystal Lake. Gottemoller’s district is in central McHenry County and covers all or parts of Crystal Lake, Cary, Bull Valley, Woodstock, McHenry and Prairie Grove.
- District 5: Terri Greeno, R-Crystal Lake. Greeno’s district is in eastern McHenry County and covers all or parts of McHenry, Prairie Grove, Cary, Lakemoor, Island Lake, Port Barrington, Oakwood Hills and Holiday Hills.
- District 6: Pamela Althoff, R-McHenry. Althoff’s district is in northeastern McHenry County and includes all or parts of McHenry, Johnsburg, Spring Grove, Fox Lake, Lakemoor and Ringwood.
- District 7: Brian Sager, R-Woodstock. Sager’s district is in central McHenry County and includes all or parts of Woodstock, McHenry, Wonder Lake, Bull Valley and Greenwood.
- District 8: Larry Smith, R-Harvard. Smith’s district stretches across a large swath of northern and western McHenry County and includes all or parts of Harvard, Hebron, Richmond, Woodstock, Marengo and Spring Grove.
- District 9: Michael Skala, R-Huntley. Skala’s district is in southwestern McHenry County and includes all or parts of Marengo, Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin and Union.
Who is running again?
Van Hof, Campbell, Gottemoller, Greeno, Althoff, Sager, Smith and Skala have all said they plan to run for reelection. The Northwest Herald left a message for Kunkle Friday afternoon.
What other offices are up next year?
McHenry County voters will be voting on sheriff, treasurer, clerk/recorder and regional superintendent. They will also select county board members.
Sheriff Robb Tadelman, Treasurer Donna Kurtz, Clerk/Recorder Joe Tiro and Regional Superintendent Diana Hartmann have all confirmed plans to run again. All of them are Republicans. Democrat Amin Karim, who lost to Kurtz in 2022, is running again for treasurer.
Federally, Illinois voters will be electing a new U.S. senator to replace retiring Democrat Dick Durbin. All members of the US House of Representatives will also be up next year; McHenry County is represented by Democrats Jan Schakowsky, Brad Schneider and Bill Foster and Republican Darin LaHood. Schakowsky is not running for another term, and voters in the southeast portion of the county, which is in her district, will be electing a new US representative.
Statewide, voters will be voting on governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer. All state senators and state representatives representing McHenry County are up for reelection.
State Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, who represents portions of Crystal Lake, Lake in the Hills and Algonquin, is not running again.
State Rep. Steve Reick, R-Woodstock, who represents much of McHenry County, announced he is seeking reelection this week and State Rep. Jeff Keicher, who represents parts of the Huntley area, is also running again.
What are the dates for the election?
People interested in running for countywide office, county board or precinct committeeperson can print out their packets on the McHenry County Clerk’s website.
As of earlier this month, candidates could start circulating petitions. The filing period for the March 17 primary is Oct. 27 through Nov. 3. Candidates locally will file at the clerk’s office.
State and federal candidates file with the state.