Lake County Recorder Gina Pimentel was leading in a close Democratic nomination race for county auditor, according to unofficial vote totals.
“This morning, I still feel like I’m in a state of shock,” Pimentel said Wednesday morning. “I didn’t know if I was dreaming or not. I’m very grateful to God for providing this win for me as well as the voters of Lake County.”
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Pimentel, current Auditor Peggy Holinga Katona, and former Calumet Township Assessor’s Office Chief of Staff Sondra Ford faced off in the Democratic primary. Charles Messler ran unopposed and received the Republican nomination.
According to unofficial Lake County election results, with all precincts reporting, Pimentel had 12,969 votes, or 36%. Katona had 12,125, or 34%, and Ford had 11,068 votes, or 31%.
“My opponents put up a good fight,” Pimentel said. “I congratulate them for all the work that they did because running a campaign and running for a countywide office is no easy feat. It’s not for those who are hesitant about putting themselves out there.”
According to the Lake County website, the auditor oversees ledgers and records affecting county funds, and oversees duties related to the assessment of property and levy and collection of property taxes, among other roles.
Pimentel has been recorder for six years, after starting as the office’s chief deputy in 2016. As recorder, Pimentel worked closely with the auditor’s office, she previously told the Post-Tribune.
Pimentel believes she’s the best person for the job, she previously said. If she wins in November, Pimentel’s top goal is to become compliant with the State Board of Accounts.
“That’s number one on my list,” she said. “I have many other goals, and I look forward to meeting those and continuing to put plans in place. Time flies, and the fall will be here before we know it, but I will be ready, and I will be excited.”
Katona was elected auditor in the 2022 general election after serving as treasurer. She has about 40 years of finance experience, Katona previously told the Post-Tribune.
At the Lake County Council’s April 14 meeting, council members expressed disappointment with Katona, who they said hasn’t come into work for four years, according to Post-Tribune archives. Katona said she hasn’t been to work for three years after sustaining serious injuries, including breaking her leg, fracturing her back and tearing both rotator cuffs, after a fall in a Lake County Government Center hallway, and she’s had six surgeries.
Katona believes the action was done to hurt her campaign, she told the Post-Tribune.
“I’m not happy with the council,” Katona said Tuesday. “It wasn’t their job to do what they did, and they just did it to ruin my campaign. That’s obvious to me.”
Katona was disappointed by unofficial results, she told the Post-Tribune Wednesday. However, Katona congratulated Pimentel on her victory and said she hopes the auditor’s office runs well.
“All the employees are great employees there,” Katona said. “I wish them well.”
Ford wanted to run for auditor because she believes the office is “a ship without a captain.” In the Calumet Township Assessor’s Office, Ford worked closely with the auditor’s office, she said. The offices share systems, and she knows what errors have been made before and how to prevent them.
On Wednesday, Ford told the Post-Tribune that she congratulated Pimentel, and she’ll help get people to vote in the November election.
“It’s not over,” Ford said. “She has a Republican opponent, and we have to make sure that she clears that hurdle as well.”
Messler, the Republican candidate for auditor, previously said he’s running to “restore trust, transparency, accountability and common sense” to how county tax dollars are managed.
“In 2022 when Lake County was deemed unauditable, I considered it unacceptable, and seeing the surprising lack of conservative candidates running for many (county-wide) offices, I decided to throw my hat in the ring,” Messler said. “My goals are to start making meaningful changes like enforcing internal controls, coordinating with the Treasurer’s office to balance the books every month, and to get the Auditor’s office in compliance for our future audits to raise our bond rating.”
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