There was only one contested race in Morgan County last night. Appointed coroner Marcy Patterson beat challenger Chuck Jennings on the Republican ticket. Patterson won 1814 to Jennings 697 votes. Patterson said that she was pleased to win her first county-wide office and was glad to meet many residents of the county during the election cycle.
Patterson says she is going to continue to organize the coroner’s office, which is what she has done over the last 6 months of her appointed time period after taking over for Jeff Lair who retired in October. Patterson said she is going to work with the citizens of the county to get through the COVID-19 corona virus outbreak.
Morgan County Clerk Jill Waggener said that she felt the election went really well despite concerns of the COVID-19 virus. “I felt we had a pretty good turnout despite all that’s going on. You always want to see a bigger turnout, but what we had was good in comparison to what is going on with the virus outbreak. I’m really proud of the election judges that served today. Once again, I know I say this every election, but I truly thank them and thank them for working – my staff, tech people, everybody that helps me with an election, because I can’t do it by myself. We have approximately 10 mail-in ballots that we haven’t received yet, but I have 14 days from Election Day to get those calculated. All the results from Election Day are unofficial until I officially close the election on March 31st.”
Morgan County wrapped up their tabulation of votes shortly after 9:30 last night with over 4400 ballots cast across the 40 precincts. Voter turnout came in just over 20%, a trend that was seen pretty much around the state due to the virus outbreak.
Experience and incumbency ruled most area races last night.
In the Republican race for Scott County State’s Attorney, seasoned attorney Rick Crews ran away with victory over Bethany Doolin and John Paul Coonrod. Crews carried 844 votes. Coonrod was a distant second with 324 and Doolin polled 215.
In the Scott County Commissioner’s race on the Republican ticket, current chairman and incumbent Bob Schaffer bested challenger Charles Pine 907-406.
In Greene County, there will be two former State’s Attorneys facing off against each other in November to replace the retiring Judges James W. Day as the resident justice presiding over the 7th Judicial Circuit Court.
On the Democratic side, former Greene County State’s Attorney Matthew Goetten pulled out the win over another former Greene County State’s Attorney Elliott Turpin, 601-388.
Things on the Republican ticket were a little tigher with former assistant state’s attorney in Logan and Peoria County and Carrollton native Zachary Schmidt besting Jerseyville attorney John W. Guntren 728-579.
In Cass County, incumbent Democrat State’s Attorney John Alvarez won over a strong challenge by Carrie Magerl 405-319.
In Mark Drummond’s vacancy in the 8th Judicial Circuit that voters from Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Mason, Menard, Pike and Schuyler counties cast votes for last night – appointed incumbent Drew Irwin was upset by challenger Tad Brenner on the Republican ticket. Brenner won 8703-7082 with all counties reporting.
Sangamon and Eastern Morgan County residents gave a resounding ‘no’ to the New Berlin School Board on the $39.5 million building bond referendum. The referendum for a new grade school and repairs and improvements to the Jr./Sr. High School failed 1710 to 422. All 20 voters in the Alexander precinct in Morgan County voted against the measure.
93rd District Republican Representative Norine Hammond will square off against current Rushville Board Member Scott Stoll in November. Stoll defeated Emiliano Vera 4164 to 2199 to vye for Hammond’s seat in the Illinois General Assembly in November.
Kinderhook residents in Pike County barely voted to end prohibition of alcohol sales last night, with the referendum winning out 39-35.
Schuyler County residents voted to re-up a 3 year deal for an extra tax to fund road district maintenance in the county. 741 votes were in favor of renewing the measure with 474 against.
Michael Hill will be changing offices. Hill vacated the Scott County State’s Attorney’s office to move closer to family in the Mt. Sterling area. Hill defeated Republican incumbent Mark Vincent in Brown County for the State’s Attorney position as well as another challenger, Jesse Gilsdorf. Hill carried 494 votes to Vincent’s 327 and Gilsdorf’s 101.
Pike County Republican incumbent Zachary Boren battled off challenger Walker Filbert to keep his office 1375 to 1098.
Down in the 13th U.S. Congressional District, Democrat Betsey Dirksen-Londrigan will be getting another chance to unseat Republican incumbent Rodney Davis in November. Londrigan handily defeated progressive Democrat Stefanie Smith in a wide margin, carrying 70% of the vote throughout the 13th District which stretches from Greene County in the west, Springfield, to Champaign County in the east.
Current Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, Jr. beat back a host of challengers in the Republican primary to challenge Democrat incumbent Dick Durbin for the U.S. Senate in November. Curran carried victory statewide with nearly 200,000 votes besting his next closest challenger, former police officer and Army Reserve Veteran Peggy Hubbard of Belleville by nearly 100,000 votes.
In Morgan, Scott, Greene, Cass, Pike, Brown, and Schuyler counties – Democrats stayed in line with the remainder of the state when it came to the Presidential nomination for a Democratic challenger to current President Donald Trump. Voters in the 7 counties chose former Vice President Joe Biden in a 3 to 1 margin over Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Biden won all 3 states holding primaries last night – Arizona and Florida by similar wide margins.