Republican Riley Oncken appears poised to be next DeKalb County state’s attorney

SYCAMORE – Republican candidate Riley Oncken appears likely to be the next DeKalb County state’s attorney, according to unofficial election results updated late Tuesday night.

Oncken, 45, watched results trickle in at his Sycamore home Tuesday with his family, a modest gathering he said he promised his wife, Heather, after what he called an exhausting campaign season. They have four daughters, 17, 10 and 8-year-old twins.

“I’m just thankful for the opportunity to serve DeKalb County in a greater role,” Oncken said Tuesday night, as unofficial results showed him in the lead by 440 votes over Democratic opponent Charles “Chuck” Rose.

Oncken garnered 50% of the vote with 23,346 votes, compared with Rose’s 22,906 votes, or 49%. Tallies could be updated, as mail-in ballots postmarked by Tuesday still need to be counted. Results aren’t certified for two weeks. If the results hold, the office will remain in Republican hands after Rick Amato chose not to seek a third term.

A 20-year practicing attorney, Oncken has never worked as a prosecutor, but he said during his campaign that he didn’t believe that was a roadblock to running a successful office. He previously served in an elected role on the DeKalb County Board representing District 3 from 2008 to 2012, and again from 2013 to 2015. His Sycamore-based private practice sees him in the DeKalb County Courthouse regularly, he said, although not in the criminal courtroom or prosecuting trials. Instead, he practices real estate law, civil defense and more.

Rose, 66, also of Sycamore, ran a campaign touting his own experience, which he said gave him a leg up against his opponent. Rose also operates his own private law firm representing families of children with special needs. He spoke frequently about his time working first as a police officer in DeKalb County, with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and then the Waterman Police Department in the 1980s, and then as a criminal prosecutor in DeKalb County and Jo Daviess County in the 1990s.

Rose gathered with supporters at Faranda’s Banquet Hall, 302 Grove St., in DeKalb on Tuesday.

In a social media post early Tuesday, Oncken said he knocked on more than 7,400 doors during the campaign season.

Oncken said Rose called him as results piled up Tuesday night to offer congratulations. He gave them back in return.

“I am grateful to my opponent for running a clean race,” Oncken said. “We sat down before the entire process started and agreed that we would not go negative, and we both kept that word. I think it is good for politics when we can be positive instead of negative.”

The next top prosecutor for the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office will lead the county’s criminal prosecution, manage a $2 million budget and team of prosecuting attorneys, represent the county government in court, and work with area law enforcement to target crime in communities across DeKalb County.

Oncken said he’s grateful to his supporters and those who entrusted him with their vote.

“I’m thankful to everybody that helped me both as far as support physically walking, knocking on doors, putting signs up, doing everything else, and just even the emotional support that people gave along the way – encouragement, prayers, all of those things that mean so much when you’re exhausted.”

This story was updated at 12:20 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. More updates could occur.