55% of County Voters Cast a Ballot in Tuesday's Election

Print

Published on November 4 2014 7:22 pm
Last Updated on November 4 2014 7:22 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

Just under 55% of those registered cast a ballot in Effingham County in Tuesday's general election.

Of 22,414 registered voters, 12,305 cast a ballot.

As usual, Effingham County trended strongly Republican. The one exception in a contested race was the election for District G County Board, where Democrat incumbent Doug McCain defeated Republican Ed Hoopingarner, 715-672. The two had also opposed each other in the last election when the contest was for an open seat after Carolyn Willenburg retired.

The other Democrats elected in the county were incumbent County Treasurer Steve Dasenbrock and incumbent District C County Board member Karen Luchtefeld.

Republicans elected Tuesday included incoming Effingham County Sheriff Dave Mahon, who was unopposed. Mahon will succeed three-term incumbent John Monnet, who did not seek re-election. Re-elected were County Clerk Kerry Hirtzel and County Supervisor of Assessments Pam Braun. Incumbent Republican County Board members re-elected without opposition were Jim Niemann and Dave Campbell, who serve as Board Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively.

In a race for a seat on the 4th Judicial Circuit bench, Republican Martin Siemer of Teutopolis defeated Democrat Ericka Sanders of Centralia. Siemer said he was "surprised" by the margin of his victory and "humbled" to be elected. Judge Sanders will remain on the bench as an Associate Circuit Judge. Siemer was elected to the seat vacated by Sherri Tungate of Clay County when she retired earlier this year. The race was for an at-large seat on the bench, meaning Siemer and Sanders were running throughout the nine-county 4th Judicial Circuit.

Residents of the Heartville Public Water District voted to dissolve the district, 89-36. 

John Shimkus was re-elected to Congress from the 15th District, and John Cavaletto was re-elected 107th District State Representative. State Representative David Reis was re-elected in the 109th District without opposition, as was State Senator Kyle McCarter in the 54th District.

County residents voted in favor of both proposed amendments to the Illinois Constitution on expanding the Crime Victims Bill of Rights and on suffrage and elections, and narrowly voted for the advisory referendum that a 3% tax be imposed on millionaires to raise money for school districts, but voted against the advisory questions regarding raising the minimum wage and requiring health insurance to include coverage for birth control.