‘Iron Mike’ Lesperance concedes defeat for Nunda Township highway commissioner against Trustee Rob Parrish

The hottest race in Nunda Township Tuesday was for the highway commissioner job. In unofficial results, longtime incumbent “Iron Mike” Lesperance was losing to his challenger, Township Trustee Rob Parrish, with Parrish leading 54% to 46%.

The mud flung between the two was, at times, thicker than the muck in a blocked township culvert. Lesperance touted the lower tax levies he achieved and more road repaved during his tenure, but Parrish called for more community engagement and accountability in the role.

“I believe it was the lack of communication and transparency,” Parrish said, and what he called bullying by Lesperance that changed voters minds.

“It is hard to beat an incumbent,” Parrish said, but adding some residents were unhappy with ’s tenure.

Lesperance did not respond to a request for comment late Tuesday, but on Wednesday congratulated Parrish in a Facebook post and thanked the thousands of people who voted in the election.

“Nunda, it has been my pleasure serving you for the last 12 years. My family and I are looking forward to the next chapter in our lives. Thank you,” Lesperance wrote.

Mike “Shorty” Shorten already nabbed the Nunda Township supervisor seat when he won the Republican primary in February. Shorten, who also sits on the McHenry County Board, was uncontested Tuesday and plans to hold both seats.

He beat out incumbent Leda Drain in that supervisor race, garnering 60% of the vote in the low-turnout election. No Democrat nor independent candidates appeared on the ballot Tuesday for that slot.

After the new township board takes office in May, Parrish said he plans to address changes in how highway district tax dollars are shared with municipalities and sit down with residents suing the township over a parking lot built in their subdivision.

For the township board, there was an eight-way race with four Republicans and four independents vying for the four open seats. None of the candidates pulled in more than 14% of the vote.

The unofficial numbers show Republican incumbents Karen Tynis and Justin Franzke retaining their seats, with Tynis getting 13.6% and Franzke 12.5% of total votes. Challenger Shelia Halasz came in just under Tynis with 13.5%, and challenger Bob Murray had 12.5%, slightly more than Franzke.

Finishing out the field, incumbents Jordan Frank had 12.1% and Mike Rogulic 12.2%, and the remaine Independents,Joseph “Joe” Bratanick, with 12.25 and Henry “H-Dawg” Eriksen, 11.2%

The township includes portions of Crystal Lake, McHenry, Bull Valley, Lakemoor, Prairie Grove, Island Lake and Holiday Hills.