Kristina Zahorik

With an eye on tourism and boosting the economy, economic officials and political figures across the spectrum in McHenry County called the news of Chicago hosting the Democratic National Convention in 2024 a win.

McHenry County Board Chair Mike Buehler on Thursday called the indictment against former President Donald Trump “politically motivated,” while the county’s Democratic Party Chair Kristina Zahorik said it’s “justice being served.”

Unofficial results for the newly downsized McHenry County Board show 13 Republicans to five Democrats. Of those potential winners, eight new faces could be on the board, making up nearly half of the body.

For the second time in a year, McHenry County Board Chairman Michael Buehler snubbed the Democrats’ choice to fill a board vacancy and nominated someone else.

Democrats have criticized the maps for cutting up neighborhoods, saying that could confuse voters about where they should go vote

“When you look at the maps as were initially contrived and now this one, the concerns we presented to the County Board are not addressed,” the chair of the Democratic Party of McHenry County said.

Tom Pavelko was nominated by the county Democratic Party to fill a seat left open by the departure of state Rep. Suzanne Ness last year, but John Collins was selected to fill the seat instead.

Jessica Phillips, a Democrat, resigned her seat in November after moving out of the district. The person who replaces her must be a Democrat.

Democratic leaders said the map making process lacked transparency after it was unveiled Thursday ahead of Tuesday's vote

“When voters see these really ugly maps that politicians draw, it does a lot toward hurting the reputation of politics in the country,” U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, said