Politics & Government

Russell Takes Coroner Race, Obama Barely Wins Kane County

Rob Russell wins the race with 56 percent of the vote. Here are some quotes and a recap of other Kane County races.

Republican Rob Russell won a contentious race Tuesday for Kane County coroner, according to unofficial election results.

With 291 precincts reporting, Russell captured about 56 percent of the total vote. His opponent, Democratic candidate Tao Martinez, came in with 43 percent.

"I’m very happy, very humbled for this opportunity," Russell told Patch. "I look forward to serving the citizens of Kane County for the next four years."

Find out what's happening in Huntleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Martinez said the campaign, his first time running for public office, was a challenging one. He congratulated all of tonight's winners on both sides of the political spectrum.

"I have no regrets in how I ran my campaign," Martinez said. "I tried to set an example. I was not your typical candidate. Everyone noticed that I was one of the very few candidates with bipartisan support."

Find out what's happening in Huntleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here's a look at the other county races, based on unofficial results:

  • Republican Chris Lauzen won Kane County Board Chair at 57 percent over Democrat and former St. Charles mayor Sue Klinkhamer's 43 percent of the vote.
  • Republican Tom Hartwell becomes the Circuit Court Clerk, defeating Democrat Edmund Nendick 57 percent to 43 percent.
  • Incumbent Sandy Wegman will remain the Recorder of Deeds, taking 57 percent of the vote. Her opponent, Brenda Rodgers, had 43 percent of the vote.

Kane County Board

  • District 2: Theresa Barreiro, 59 percent, Sal Abbate 41 percent
  • District 11: Michael Donahue 63 percent, Martha Hanna 37 percent
  • District 14: Mark Davoust 68 percent, Nadia BlancDaley 32 percent
  • District 18: Andrew Frasz 65 percent, Kerri Branson 35 percent

Obama Squeaks Out Kane County Win

President Barack Obama handily won Illinois, but not Kane County. He captured 50.5 percent of the vote compared to challenger Mitt Romney's 49.4 percent.

This post will be updated with more information and quotes through Wednesday morning.


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