Election results

[NOV. 6, 2002] 

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[LDN compilation]

[NOV. 6, 2002]  In a larger-than-expected turnout, Logan County voters said "no" to two proposed tax increases, approved making a change in the sheriff’s office, and defeated a Democratic challenger’s bid for a seat on the Logan County Board.

Incumbent Sheriff Anthony "Tony" Soloman, one of the county’s few Democratic officeholders, was defeated by Republican challenger Steven G. Nichols, who garnered 6,369 votes to Soloman’s 4,675.

The referendum for the city of Lincoln’s sales tax increase failed decisively, with 2,980 no votes and only 1,891 yes votes.

The Chester-East Lincoln Education Fund tax increase also failed, but by a narrow 15-vote margin, 702-687. Earlier in the evening the referendum was ahead by 20 votes, but later returns wiped out that gain.

Voters in Logan County Board District 3, the only district with a race for a seat, turned down the bid of Democrat Harold Dingman of Latham, returned Republican incumbent Gloria Luster of Mount Pulaski and elected newcomer John Stewart, also of Mount Pulaski and also a Republican.

Sheriff will name new chief deputy

Challenger Steve Nichols defeated three other contenders in the March primary to run against incumbent Soloman for sheriff. Soloman was elected four years ago, defeating four-term incumbent Bob Patterson.

[Photo by Jan Younquist]
[Jim Ash (right) interviews sheriff-elect
Steve Nichols and daughter]

Nichols said one change he will make is to name Detective Rick Bacon as his chief deputy; then he will talk with deputies and employees to see what other changes need to be made.

"I thank the voters of Logan County for giving me this opportunity," he said. "I want to get in and get my administration set and start doing the job."

Nichols, 46, of Elkhart, has been in law enforcement 20 years, nine years as a state trooper in Illinois and South Dakota and 11 years as a child abuse and neglect investigator for the Department of Children and Family Services.

County Deputy Henry Bartmann, one of Nichols’ challengers in the primary, said Tuesday night that he hoped Nichols would "correct some of the errors we see in the department, such as providing more training for young officers."

Other than that, Bartmann said, "I’m like everybody else, I’ve got to wait and see what he does." Bartmann has been with the Sheriff’s Department for 27 years and at one time served under Steve Nichols’ father, Glenn Nichols, who was sheriff from 1966 to 1970.

City official disappointed with tax vote

The defeat of the city’s proposed tax increase of one-half of one percent on retail sales means Lincoln won’t have money to improve streets and alleys, city officials said Tuesday night. The economic turndown and the low interest rates have left Lincoln, like most other municipalities, with a reduced cash flow that has meant drastic cuts in the budget. The tax increase was projected to bring about $550,000-a-year more to the city and was earmarked for work on its infrastructure.

Alderman Steve Fuhrer, former finance chairman, was one of those disappointed that the referendum didn’t pass.

"It sure would have been nice to see that $550,000 coming in next year to fix our streets and roads," he said.

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Fuhrer said he thought voters didn’t realize that one-third to one-half of the new tax money would probably have come from out-of-town shoppers, especially those who pull off Interstate 55 and stop at businesses on the west side.

"We could have capitalized on out-of-town people to help pay this tax, just like we help pay other towns’ sales taxes when we shop in Springfield and Bloomington," he said. "To me this — not the property tax — is the fairest tax. You spend money and you help pay."

Fuhrer, who said he went out and walked his ward and got a good response, said he didn’t think the city council started quickly enough to get the word out about the tax, and hopes to try for an increase next year.

The city will continue to need more income, he said. "The economic situation is definitely not going to be any better next year."

C-EL vote was so close

The C-EL referendum failed by less than 1 percent. New C-EL Superintendent Robert Bagby was disappointed but is taking the attitude that it has been "a real learning experience." He said, "I feel sorry for our kids because of programs that have been lost, and more will be lost." The school has already cut music, a reading program and an administrator, amongst other overall general cutbacks.

Bagby said, "We can debate school funding all we want; we all know there’s a problem." Blaming some of the problem on poor state support, he added, "Illinois is 47th in the nation in funding education at the state level."

Other local results

Other Logan County races were uncontested. Sally J. Litterly, incumbent county clerk and recorder, got 9,869 votes, and Mary E. Bruns, incumbent county treasurer, got 9,667. Both are Republicans.

Most Logan County Board seats in heavily Republican Logan County were decided in the March primary, the first time in many years that voters chose board members from districts instead of at large. All newly elected county board members this year are Republicans.

In District 1, incumbent Lloyd Hellman received 1,387 votes and newcomer Charles E. Ruben 1,099. In District 2, incumbent Richard E. "Dick" Logan got 1,216 votes and newcomer Robert D. Farmer got 1,283. Both are from Lincoln.

In District 4, David R. Hepler received 909 votes and Terry "TW" Werth 1,960. Both are incumbents. In District 5, newcomer Patrick L. O’Neill got 1,125 votes and incumbent Dale A. Voyles 1,015. Both are from Lincoln.

In District 6, newcomer William (Mitch) Brown got 1,121 votes and incumbent Paul E. Gleason 1,289. Both are from Lincoln.

Tuesday’s election turnout was surprisingly high for a gubernatorial election —59.95 percent, according to County Clerk Litterly. Generally she sees a turnout of about 50 percent for these races.

"Local races brought out people to support local candidates," she said, "and also the closure of the Lincoln Developmental Center gave people an awareness of how government can affect their lives and their livelihood."

[Joan Crabb]

[NOV. 6, 2002]  In spite of overwhelming Democratic victories statewide, Logan County voters remained loyal to their longtime Republican base, giving only three Democratic candidates for state office more votes than their Republican opponents. Those three were all incumbents with well-funded campaigns and well-known names.

U.S. Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Democratic incumbent from Springfield, got 5,978 Logan County votes, compared with Republican challenger Jim Durkin’s 4,813. Durkin, from a Chicago suburb, had little money to spend on advertising compared with the incumbent.

Secretary of State Jesse White got considerably more Logan County votes, 7,251, than his little-known Republican challenger, Kris O’Rourke Cohn, with 3,574. Democratic incumbent Daniel W. Hynes also outpolled his Republican opponent, Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell, for the office of comptroller 5,463-4,643. Both White and Hynes won statewide.

In other races, however, Republicans here ran stronger than Democrats. If Logan County voters had had their way, Republican Jim Ryan would be the next governor. He outpolled Democrat Rod Blagojevich 6,350-4,440, in spite of the support given by union members to Blagojevich.

Statewide, Blagojevich won easily and will be the first Democratic governor in a quarter of a century.

Although Illinois voters chose Democrat Lisa Madigan for attorney general, voters in Logan County preferred Republican Joe Birkett by a more-than-2,000-vote margin, 6,631-4,034.

State Treasurer Judy Barr Topinka, one of the few Republican incumbents to keep her office, got a big boost in Logan County, with 7,414 votes to Democratic challenger Thomas J. Dart’s 3,209. Ray LaHood, running unopposed for a House seat in the 18th District, garnered 9,505 Logan County votes.

Retiring state Rep. Jonathan Wright, R-Hartsburg, said Tuesday night that he did not think the Democratic sweep of state offices would bring any real change to state government.

"A lot of people think they are voting for change, and there’s not really going to be a change," he said.

Comparing Blagojevich to the incumbent governor, George Ryan, whose first and only term has been plagued with scandal, Wright said there were many similarities.

"Blagojevich is coming out of the same type of background Ryan did. They both still view government as a vehicle to placate special interests. I think voters will find there is no difference between Gov. Ryan and Gov. Blagojevich, except that different special interests will be placated."

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In regional offices, too, Logan County voters supported Republicans.

In the 44th District state senate race between Republican Bill Brady and Democrat Gerald A. Bradley, Brady topped his opponent 3,074-1,601 in Logan County.

Republican Larry K. Bomke of Springfield, a strong supporter of the Lincoln Developmental Center during the battle to keep that facility open, got 4,950 Logan County votes compared with 1,236 for his Democratic opponent Don Tracy.

Another strong supporter of LDC, Republican Bill Mitchell, ran unopposed for a House seat in the 87th District, getting 3,934 Logan County votes. Running for the House seat in the 100th District, Republican candidate Rich Brauer outpolled his Democratic opponent, Carl. D. Oblinger, 3,700-2,382 in Logan County.

In the race for a seat on the Illinois Supreme Court, Logan County voters favored Republican Rita B. Garman over Democrat Sue E. Myerscough by 6,437 to 4,251 votes, and for judge of the 4th District Appellate Court, Republican John Turner of Atlanta, a former state representative, got 7,896 votes, with Democrat Bill Trapp polling only 3,008.

In the five regional races for superintendent of schools, which various Logan County voters saw on their ballots, only two had Democratic candidates, and only one got more votes than the Republican candidate. Democrat Karl Jordan, running in Tazewell County, got 60 votes compared with the 40 cast for Republican Rob Houchin. In Sangamon County, Republican Helen Tolan got 12 votes to Democrat Jeff Vose’s 7.

In Logan, Mason and Menard counties, no candidate filed to oppose Republican Jean R. Anderson, who got 8,296 votes. In Macon and Piatt counties, no candidate filed to oppose Republican Charles A. Shonkwiler, who got 120 Logan County votes, and in DeWitt, Livingston and McLean counties, no candidate filed to oppose Republican Larry Daghe, who got 650 votes here.

[Joan Crabb]

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