Strong voter turnout leaves some races still undecided

By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post

One of the most anticipated elections in years sent record numbers of voters to the polls and decided some races – with a few still to be determined nationally and in Illinois.

By Monday, more than 3.5 million voters had already cast early ballots across Illinois and turnout Tuesday was strong locally and across the state.

The marquee race between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden was decided early in Illinois. With 74 percent of the vote counted, the Associated Press was calling Biden the winner in Illinois with 54.3 percent of the vote to 42.7 percent for Trump.

Nationwide, Trump appeared to have a narrow lead, though that race was too close to call at press time, with Pennsylvania one of several key swing states in which final vote tallies may not be finalized for days.

Also too close to call was the vote on a constitutional amendment that would change Illinois from a flat income tax to a graduated tax, effective Jan. 1, 2021. With 57.5 percent of the vote in Tuesday, just 47.8 percent had voted in favor of the constitutional amendment.

If the amendment receives 60 percent support from those voting on the question, it passes. But if it fails to reach the 60 percent threshold for those voting on the question but still musters “yes” votes from more than half of those voting in the election, it would still pass.

Due to outstanding mail ballots and multiple paths to passage, results could take weeks to certify. Another hotly contested race that saw possible record spending focused on the retention of Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride. The Yes-No question of whether Kilbride would retain his seat in the 3rd Judicial District saw 55.6 percent in favor of Kilbride with 74.1 percent of votes counted.

That would leave Kilbride short of the 60 percent needed to maintain his seat. The race to keep or remove an Illinois Supreme Court justice on the bench has become the most expensive retention election in the high court’s history. Kilbride’s retention campaign and the anti-retention effort trying to remove him have spent millions, and the race could also top the record of $9.3 million spent on a competitive, non-retention election in 2004.

If the anti-retention effort succeeds, the Supreme Court would appoint a replacement until a special election in 2022.

In other votes on judicial retention, “Yes” votes looked to carry the day for Mary McDade, Judge of the Appellate Court, 3rd Judicial district; for David L. Vancil, Jr., Judge of the Circuit Court 9th Judicial Circuit; and for Thomas B. Ewing, Judge of the Circuit Court 9th Judicial Circuit.

In other races, Democratic incumbent Cheri Bustos faced a battle for Congressional Representative from the 17th District. With 81.1 percent reporting, Bustos had 50.3 percent of the vote compared to 49.7 percent for Republican Esther Joy King. For Congressional Representative from the 18th District, Republican Darin LaHood was winning easily with 77.7 percent counted. LaHood had 71.5 percent compared to 28.5 percent for Democratic challenger George Petrilli.

A race called very early by the Associated Press, was the reelection of Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who ran against Republican Mark Curran. With 73.3 percent of the votes counted, Durbin had 52.4 percent to 40.4 percent for Curran, 1.9 percent for Libertarian Danny Malouf, 4.3 percent for Willie Wilson and 0.9 percent for Green Party member David Black.

Here are vote percentages in other local races.
• For State Senator from the 46th District (92.2 percent in): Mary Burress – 46.3 Dave Koehler – 53.7
• For State Representative from the 91st District (85.7 percent in): Mark A. Luft – 65.2 Josh Grys – 34.8
• For State Representative from the 74th District (97.2 percent in): Dan Swanson – 70.9 Christopher Demin – 29.1
• For Fulton County Clerk (100 percent in): Patrick J. O’Brian – 66.06 Jennifer J. Bankert – 33.94
• For Knox County Board members, District 5 (two to be seated, 100 percent in): Rick Sandoval – 45.9 Jeffrey D. Link – 31.5 Todd Shreves – 22.95
• For Judge of the 9th Judicial Circuit (Knox Co.): Andrew J. Doyle – 63.18 Emily S. Sutton – 36.82
• Can Peoria County sell the building/land formerly known as Hedington Oaks: Yes – 84.14 No – 15.86.