Election 2025: What to watch for in McHenry County area when results come in

Voters in the McHenry County are selecting hundreds of local municipal leaders and members of school, park, library and fire boards in the local election that ended Tuesday.

You can watch the results come in on our website, shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/election. With polls closed as of 7 p.m. Tuesday, here are a few things to watch for as results come in.

Can incumbent mayors fend off challenges?

Many incumbent mayors and village presidents got a free pass to another term with no opponents. But many others faced competition.

Wayne Jett in McHenry and Timothy Hoeft in Huntley both faced challenges from within their local council. McHenry Alderwoman Chris Bassi ran against Jett in his bid for a third term as McHenry mayor, while Huntley Village Board member John Piwko ran against Hoeft for village president.

In Cary, local business owner Randolph Lee Scott ran against longtime Mayor Mark Kownick.

Island Lake’s Mayor Richard McLaughlin had two opponents, Stacey Pyne and Brian Bartnick, as did Hebron’s Robert Shelton, who had challenges from Frank Beatty and Steven Morris.

In Fox Lake, incumbent Donald “Donny” Schmit ran against Sean Stochl, while in McCullom Lake, incumbent Marilyn Shepit had a challenge from Terry Counley.

Can write-in candidates succeed?

Write-in candidacies are almost always long shots, but a write-in winning isn’t unheard of. Two years ago, Crystal Lake Mayor Haig Haleblian won as a write-in, though those were unusual circumstances that saw him run as the only candidate in the race.

In Woodstock, a write-in candidate with a well-known name is running for City Council: Lou Ness lost her seat on the McHenry County Board last November but decided to run for a local position this cycle. She’s among seven candidates vying for three seats on the City Council.

Several other write-in candidates running this local election, including Jake Justen for Crystal Lake City Council. Also in the race for three seats are incumbents Ian Philpot and Cameron D. Hubbard and challenger Natasha Teetsov.

In Harvard, write-in Paul Herely is challenging incumbent Mayor Michael P. Kelly, while Kristina Crain is mounting a write-in campaign for clerk against Scott S. Logan.

In Harvard School District 50, board President Melinda Shafer was tossed from the ballot but is aiming to retain her seat as a write-in. She is among six candidates for four seats.

But write-in vote totals won’t be a part of official tally Tuesday night and could take a couple of weeks to be known - so stay tuned.

Will Nunda Township elect a 21-year-old for trustee?

One of the four independent candidates for Nunda Township board recently turned 21. If elected, Henry “H-Dawg” Eriksen – yes, that’s how he appeared on the ballot – will become the youngest person in McHenry County to hold elected office, according to Mike Shorten, the Nunda Township supervisor-elect who beat incumbent Leda Drain in the GOP primary in February and ran unopposed Tuesday.

Eriksen is among a slate of independent candidates who are running against a slate of Republican candidates, with no Democrats in the race.

Also in Nunda Township, longtime Highway Commissioner Mike “Iron Mike” Lesperance faced a challenge from Trustee Rob Parrish in what has become a heated race.

Will the Huntley District 158 board move in a different direction?

Two years ago, a slate of candidates gained a majority on the District 158 school board, many of whom had opposed mask mandates and school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This time around, there are 10 candidates for five seats on the board – four full-term seats and one two-term seat – making it one of the most competitive races in the McHenry County area.

This time around, some local groups have waded into the race, with some indicating they hope to take the board in a different direction.