Schweizer, McLaughlin, Grant Leads Tighten Further as Final Counts Draw Near
Rep. Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville)
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Champaign County posted new results late Wednesday in the 104th House District race between appointed Rep. Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville) and Democrat Jarrett Clem, tightening the race even further.
Clem cut Schweizer’s lead from 524 to 303.
Schweizer unofficially has 23,453 votes to 23,150 for Clem, 50.33% to 49.67%.
It isn’t clear yet how many Champaign County ballots remain before Tuesday’s deadline and Vermilion County (and the City of Danville Election Commission) have yet to report any post-Election Night results. Though Schweizer performed better in Vermilion County than Champaign.
“I feel good,” Schweizer said Thursday. “Every member I spoke with [in Springfield this week], even some Democrats, congratulated me and told me I’m good. I feel confident, but I’ll feel better come Tuesday when this is behind us.”
Clem has not responded to a message for comment.
Lake and Cook counties posted new updates in the tight 52nd House District late Friday afternoon, cutting Rep. Martin McLaughlin’s (R-Barrington Hills) lead even more against Democrat Maria Peterson.
After leading by almost 1,000 after Election night, McLaughlin’s lead has been trimmed to just 323 votes.
McLaughlin currently has 29,236 votes to Peterson’s 28,913. That’s 50.3% for McLaughlin and 49.7% for Peterson.
McHenry County, which McLaughlin led after Election Night, still has thousands of ballots to tabulate, and will certainly impact the outcome when those votes are reported next Tuesday, the deadline to count votes.
McLaughlin has previously declared victory. We asked him Friday if he still felt confident he would hold on and he responded via text message with “yessir.”
Peterson said she’s waiting for the final results Tuesday.
“Out of respect to all of my supporters, my team and I owe it to them to ensure that every vote is counted,” she wrote in a message to The Illinoize late Thursday. “Compared to the other close races in the House, we’ve closed the gap significantly and there’s still a possibility to win.”
DuPage County also added 23 votes Friday to the close 47th District race between Rep. Amy Grant (R-Wheaton) and Democrat Jackie Williamson. Williamson cut Grant’s lead from 300 to 289.
Grant declared victory Friday.
“Our campaign has been advised that we have reached a point where it is clear that I have been reelected as your State Representative of the 47th Legislative District,” she said in a statement. “I am grateful and committed to the nearly 60,000 voters, who voted early, by mail, and on Election Day. I represent all the residents of this district and will continue to do my level best to do so.”
Final tallies will be made in all of the competitive races Tuesday.