Eight seats on the 21-member Lake County Board were contested Tuesday, including two wide-open positions left up for grabs when incumbents decided not to seek re-election.
The incumbents fighting to stay in office included the board’s leader, Aaron Lawlor. A Republican, Lawlor was first elected in 2009 to represent District 18, which includes Vernon Hills and Indian Creek. He became chairman in 2012.
Lawlor was leading with 60 percent of the vote in partial, unconfirmed vote totals Tuesday night in his race against Democrat Gerri Songer.
“I’m still going to reserve judgment until every vote is counted,” Lawlor said. “But it looks like folks came out today and supported me, and that is very gratifying.” He said he looked forward to getting back to work on expanding access to mental health care and growing the local economy, he said.
Songer, a teacher with Township High School District 214, ran on a platform heavily focused on regulating oil trains that travel through Hawthorn Woods and Vernon Hills.
Songer also called herself a longtime opponent of the contentious Route 53 expansion, from which Lawlor withdrew his support earlier this year.
The high-profile project would have extended Route 53 north of Lake Cook Road to Grayslake. Lawlor pulled his support in May after worrying the project’s rising cost would result in its environmental protections being dropped. Songer suggested before the election that the switch was politically motivated.
During the campaign, Lawlor highlighted as successes his efforts to lead a consolidation of 911 services and to hold more accountable those appointed to county positions during his previous term. He said both initiatives will save taxpayers money.
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Lawlor also helped convene a task force designed to improve mental health services in Lake County during his first term, he said. Another gathering he established was the annual Lake County Leaders Summit, a meeting where government, business and civic leaders collaborate on issues facing the county.
Newcomers join the board
Two new faces are set to join the board, because District 5 Republican Bonnie Thomson Carter and District 11 Democrat Steven Mandel both decided not to seek re-election.
In the District 5 race to represent Fox Lake, Lakemoor, Volo and other areas, Democrat Niki Warden, the village clerk of Fox Lake, was running against Republican Judy Martini, who previously served on the County Board from 1994-2008.
Partial returns showed Martini ahead Tuesday evening, with nearly 60 percent of the vote, unofficial vote totals showed.
“I’m very pleased with the outcome,” Martini said. “I’m still waiting for the early votes to come in, but I feel confident. I’m hoping, knock on wood, that I’ll prevail.”
Meanwhile, in District 11 — comprised of Highland Park, Highwood and Deerfield — Democrat Paul Frank and Republican Laura Lambrecht were vying for the seat Mandel currently holds.
Frank, currently a member of the Highland Park City Council, had the support of Mandel, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering and his colleagues on the City Council. Lambrecht, who considered herself the underdog, was seeking a County Board seat for the second time.
Frank was ahead Tuesday night with 63 percent of the vote, according to unofficial vote totals.
“The early results are encouraging,” Frank said. “I feel good that the voters in HP and Highwood have confidence in my ability to represent them on the county board.”
Other races
The other Lake County Board members facing challengers included Democrats Diane Hewitt (District 2), Sandra Hart (District 13) and Terry Wilke (District 16). They were respectively up against Republicans Darryln Coleman, Ann Brennan and Timothy Walsh. Incumbent Republicans Brent Paxton (District 4) and Steve Carlson (District 7) were running against Democrats John Idleburg and Mary Turley, respectively.
All the incumbents were fending off their challengers Tuesday evening, unofficial vote totals showed.
“I believe that I’ve worked hard for my constituents for the last eight years,” said Hewitt, who was garnering more than 68 percent of the vote, according to unofficial vote totals. “And I think I have a good rapport with my residents.”
Linda Pedersen (District 1), Mike Rummel (District 12), Audrey Nixon (District 14), Carol Calabresa (District 15), Sidney Mathias (District 20) and Ann Maine (District 21) were running unopposed. All but Nixon are Republicans.
Before the election, there were seven Democrats on the County Board and 14 Republicans.
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