Schuster loses Seneca township
By KEVIN P. CRAVER - kcraver@nwherald.com
Work on township buildings sunk two incumbents this election.
In Seneca Township, voter discontent over adding offices to the township hall led to challenger James Kagel’s defeat of Supervisor Ersel Schuster, who had held the office since 1992. Kagel received 500 votes to Schuster’s 216, according to unofficial vote totals.
“I ran because a lot of the residents were upset with the money spent on the addition to the township building,” Kagel said.
Schuster conceded Tuesday in good spirits, saying the township “can live without me.” Voters elected her last November to a four-year term on the McHenry County Board.
The plan to build a new Grafton Township hall led to challenger Linda Moore’s narrow denial of a second term for incumbent Supervisor John Rossi in the Republican primary in February. Moore ran unopposed Tuesday.
Hebron Township Supervisor Gregory Kuhs and Richmond Township Supervisor Tamara Valentine-Garza also lost their re-election bids.
The Democratic Party of McHenry County did not extend its November gains on the County Board into township government. Republican candidates crushed their Democratic challengers for trustees of Nunda and Algonquin townships.
In Nunda Township, Republican candidates Tom Palmer, Joni Smith, James Schlader and Kelvin Jennings captured the four trustee seats. Smith received 2,565 votes, Palmer received 2,468, Schlader received 2,356 and Jennings 2,206, according to unofficial totals.
Democratic candidates Meredith Reid Sarkees and Patrick Murfin received 1,685 and 1,656 votes, respectively.
The four Republican incumbents in Algonquin Township also won re-election Tuesday, defeating a three-man Democratic slate. Elected were Republicans Linda Lance with 4,138 votes, Niels Sorensen with 3,715, Lowell Cutsforth with 3,676, and Joseph Powalowski with 3,658, according to unofficial vote totals.
Algonquin Democratic challenger Robert Frank received 2,855 votes, James McTague received 2,718 and Frank Hyden received 2,641, unofficial totals show.
