McHenry is the last red collar county around Chicago. The GOP aims to keep it that way as ‘margins get closer’

Last month’s pro-Donald Trump rally in Woodstock showed a familiar side of McHenry County, one that has long been loyal to the Republican Party.

But while hundreds of supporters of the former president celebrated their GOP affiliation and listened to speeches from prominent party figures like MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, McHenry County Board Chair Mike Buehler acknowledged the shift that has taken place in every other collar county around Chicago in recent years: They’ve turned blue.

Buehler of Crystal Lake proudly told the crowd that McHenry is the last remaining red collar county. He also acknowledged that even McHenry County might not be as red as it once was.

“McHenry County, sometimes, I think that we take it for granted that we’re a Republican-controlled party,” Buehler said. “But, you know, the margins get closer and closer all the time.”

The GOP still holds a large majority on the McHenry County Board and – whatever happens in the Nov. 5 election – will continue to hold most of the countywide elected offices, since the Democrats are not running anyone against the state’s attorney or auditor, and other countywide offices not up this cycle are also held by Republicans. Buehler himself is facing a challenge from Democratic county board member Kelli Wegener, while GOP Coroner Michael Rein faces a challenge from Democrat Chris Kalapodis.

Buehler won his position in 2020 by besting Jack Franks, who four years earlier became the first Democrat to win a countywide elected office in McHenry County since 1978.

And Democrats have made inroads in presidential politics in McHenry County too. In 2016, Trump carried the county with 50.3% of the vote against Hillary Clinton, beating her by almost 11,000 votes. In 2020, Trump still won the county, but this time it was by slightly more than 4,000 votes, and he received less than 50% of the vote.

At the Trump rally on Aug. 18, Buehler tried to contrast McHenry County’s Republican tendencies with the stronger Democratic support in Illinois.

“Even though we live in a state controlled by radical leftists, the American dream is alive and well in McHenry County,” Buehler told the crowd.

The Democratic inroads in other counties, though, would have been unheard of in recent years. In Lake, Kane, Will and even DuPage County – once the center of GOP strength in Illinois – Democrats now hold a majority of countywide elected officials and control all but one of the county boards, where in Will County the two major parties are split evenly. DuPage has its first Democratic county board chair in nearly 80 years. In Lake County, all of the countywide elected offices are held by Democrats.

Kane County a few years ago was still Republican. Since 2016, Democrats have generally outvoted Republicans in primary elections in Kane County, but this year, slightly more Republicans voted in the primary.

McHenry also was the only collar county that Trump won in 2020. The majority of voters in Cook, Lake, Kane, Will and DuPage, as well as Kendall, all went for Joe Biden.

At the pro-Trump rally in Woodstock last month, Republican McHenry County Board members and candidates took the stage alongside Buehler, including candidate Paul Thomas of Wonder Lake, who is running to try to unseat Democratic incumbent Lou Ness of Woodstock in District 7.

While introducing the candidates, Buehler took a swipe at Ness. He didn’t name her, but he said Thomas is “running against the most radical member of our County Board that we have.”

Buehler added that Republicans “work together for the dream instead of the social agenda. He later urged the audience to fight for the American dream by voting Republican and not for the “Democrat Socialist Party.”

Asked later about Buehler’s comment, Ness said she was “kind of surprised.” She said she found Buehler to be “reasonable.”

“We’ve been very collegial,” she said.

She added that although Buehler might insinuate she’s radical, “in process, I’m more moderate.” She also aid she listens to all people and tries to represent people in her district as best she can. And she slammed Trump “Make American Great Again” movement, saying: “People are tired of that stuff. They have real concerns.”

Other Democrats whose seats are up this November on the county board include Theresa Meshes and Wegener, who is giving up her seat to run against Buehler. Meshes is seeking reelection in District 1 against Republican Pat Sullivan.

Wegener put out a news release the day after the rally, slamming Buehler’s speech.

“It’s deeply troubling when elected officials in our county choose to back the divisive and extreme agenda that was on display. The MAGA extremists are rallying behind a convicted felon, pushing an agenda that is entirely out of step with the values of McHenry County. Our leaders should be setting a positive example, not teaching our children that it’s acceptable to lie, demean others or believe they are above the law,” Wegener said in the release. “McHenry County should be a community where everyone feels welcome, not just those who share the same views. We must celebrate our diversity, safeguard women’s reproductive rights, and ensure that all our residents have the support they need to thrive here.”

Having a presidential race on the ballot can also affect what happens farther down-ballot, though the outcome might not be proportionate. In 2020, other Republicans on the ballot, including Buehler, outperformed Trump. Buehler defeated incumbent Franks by about 9,000 votes, getting just less than 53% of the vote.

In 2022 when there was no presidential race on the ballot but a gubernatorial one in Illinois, about twice as many people pulled a Republican ballot as a Democratic one. At the time, Gary Rabine, a Bull Valley resident, was running for governor, but lost McHenry County to eventual nominee Darren Bailey, according to the McHenry County Clerk’s Office. Former McHenry County Board member Carolyn Schofield was gubernatorial candidate Paul Schimpf’s running mate, as well.

In the general election, Bailey won the county by fewer than 2,000 votes, but incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker won the overall race in a landslide. Down-ballot, Republicans and McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio won reelection by almost 9,000 votes while Republican candidate Donna Kurtz won election to county treasurer by more than 19,000 votes. Five Democrats were elected to the County Board in that election.

In this past spring’s primary election, slightly more than 19,500 people cast Republican ballots while just fewer than 15,500 cast Democratic ballots. Just more than 1,300 voters cast a nonpartisan ballot, which allowed them to vote on the Mental Health Board sales tax but not for party candidates.

Two McHenry County Board races had a contested primary, both of which featured Republicans.

Although fewer voters pulled a Democratic ballot this year, the party feels good about their chances this fall.

“I think this could be a great election for us” if people show up, McHenry County Democratic Party Chair Ruth Scifo said.

She noted enthusiasm on the Democratic side, saying donations are coming in and people want signs.