Election 2023: First ballots being counted in McHenry County municipal races

The majority of incumbents running for municipal boards in McHenry County were in position to hold onto their seats, according to unofficial election results as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.

All results from Tuesday will be unofficial and preliminary until April 25 when results are certified. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day have two weeks to arrive and still be counted.

Results available on Tuesday night included early voting ballots and mail-in ballots that had already arrived in the total, according to the McHenry County Clerk’s website. As of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Election Day ballots were partially included.

Of the 57 municipal races in McHenry County, 14 are competitive, McHenry County Clerk’s Office election data shows.

[ Here are the live results for McHenry County races ]

Woodstock’s City Council race is the most competitive in this year’s slate, with nine candidates competing for three spots.

As of 10:30 p.m., Melissa McMahon led the race for Woodstock’s City Council with 856 votes (18.5%), according to unofficial election results. Natalie Ziemba with 750 votes (16.2%) and Darrin Flynn, the lone incumbent running, with 713 votes (15.4%) rounded out the top three.

Bryson Calvin had 503 votes (10.9%), former Woodstock City Council member Joe Starzynski had 476 votes (10.3%), Mark Indyke had 375 votes (8.1%), Crystal Squires had 346 votes (7.5%), Thomas West had 304 votes (6.6%) and Wendy Barker had 294 votes (6.4%), unofficial election results show.

McHenry had seven total City Council candidates – three of whom are incumbents – across the four wards up this election.

In Ward 2, incumbent Andrew Glab had 173 votes (53.1%) to Michael Lehman’s 153 votes (46.9%), according to unofficial election results at 10:30 p.m. Christine Bassi had 277 votes (51.7%) to incumbent Ryan Harding’s 259 votes (48.3%) in Ward 4, and Michael Koch had 111 votes (61.3%) to Rob Johnson’s 70 (38.7%) in Ward 6.

Incumbent Sue Miller ran unopposed in her ward.

Crystal Lake had five candidates – two of whom are incumbents – vying for three spots.

As of 10:30 p.m., incumbent Brett Hopkins had 2,634 votes (25.7%), with incumbent Ellen Brady at 2,340 votes (22.8%) and Denise Smith with 2,210 votes (21.6%), unofficial election results show. Robert Brechbiel and Donald Kountz, with 1,545 votes (15.1%) and 1,523 votes (14.9%), respectively, round out the group.

Crystal Lake’s mayoral race had just one candidate, incumbent Mayor Haig Haleblian, who ran as a write-in.

While election results won’t be in for him or any of the other 12 write-in candidates on Tuesday evening, none of them are running in competitive races. This means they will each need just one vote to secure a seat in their respective elections, McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio said last week.

Vote totals for write-in candidates will be available in the week or so following the election, Tirio said.

Johnsburg had six candidates running for three four-year seats and two for one two-year spot.

As of 10:30 p.m., incumbent Scott Letzter had 672 votes (22.3%), while Michael Fouke and James Morris round out the top three with 587 votes (19.5%) and 498 votes (16.5%), respectively, according to unofficial election results. Laura King had 439 votes (14.6%), incumbent Kyle Frost had 428 votes (14.2%) and Jason Blumenthal has 392 votes (13%).

In the race for a two-year term, incumbent Mary Foreman had 740 votes (68.2%) to incumbent Tom Curry’s 345 votes (31.8%), according to unofficial election results.

Algonquin had five candidates vying for three seats.

As of 10:30 p.m., results across Kane and McHenry counties have incumbent John Spella with 1,709 votes (28.8%), while incumbent Margaret Auger had 1,612 votes (27.2%) and incumbent Brian Dianis had 1,306 votes (22%), according to unofficial election results. Deniz Namik and George Nwogu were tied at 651 votes (11%).

Trout Valley had six candidates for three seats.

As of 10:30 p.m., incumbent Kristin Purtill had 100 votes (27.6%) and challenger Janette Warner had 89 votes (24.6%), with incumbent Ann Somers rounding out the top three with 84 votes (23.2%), unofficial election results show. Incumbent David Peterson had 47 votes (13%), Eva Coco had 24 votes (6.6%) and Denise Johnson had 18 votes (5%).

Cary, McCullom Lake, Richmond and Holiday Hills all had four candidates vying for three seats.

In Cary, as of 10:30 p.m., incumbent Ellen McAlpine had 1,286 votes (29.1%) and incumbent Dale Collier Jr. had 1,265 votes (28.7%), according to unofficial election results. Anthony Stefani had 981 votes (22.2%) and incumbent David Prusina rounded out the group with 883 votes (20%).

In McCullom Lake, as of 10:30 p.m., Chad Thompson had 42 votes (27.6%) and Sandra Johnson had 40 votes (26.3%), while incumbents Michael Walter and Nancy Matthesius had 36 votes (23.7%) and 34 votes (22.4%), respectively, unofficial election results show.

In Richmond, as of 10:30 p.m., challenger Ron Kay had 117 votes (26.4%), incumbent Frank Peiler had 111 votes (25.1%), Adam Metz had 110 votes (24.8%) and incumbent Robert Elliott had 105 votes (23.7%), unofficial election results show.

For Holiday Hills, as of 10:30 p.m., all four candidates were at a near tie, with incumbent Lisa Maier at 58 votes (25.7%), Carol Stingel had 57 votes (25.2%), Brian Agrella had 56 votes (24.8%), while Kamil Pawlak had 55 votes (24.3%), unofficial election results show.

Four referendums were also on Tuesday’s ballot. Bull Valley and Lakemoor each asked to become home-rule villages, while Harvard sought to see how residents feel about a 1% sales tax.

As of 10:30 p.m., Lakemoor’s referenda saw 467 votes (83.2%) against the measure and 94 votes (16.8%) in support, unofficial election results across Lake and McHenry counties show. Bull Valley’s proposition had a similar breakdown, with 271 votes (76.8%) against and 82 votes (23.2%) in favor.

Harvard’s sales tax had 255 votes (57.8%) in favor and 186 votes (42.2%) against as of 10:30 p.m., unofficial election results show.

Algonquin Township sought permission to create a refuse collection, disposal and recycling program on behalf of its residents in unincorporated areas. Early results for that referenda were 757 votes (62%) in favor and 463 votes (38%) against, as of 10:30 p.m., according to unofficial election results.