Teachers union-backed candidates win two school board seats while candidates backed by ACTION PAC and the Barrington Township Republican Organization win the other two
In the 11-candidate field for four spots on the Barrington Unit School District #220 (D220) school board, two competing slates won two board seats apiece.
The local teachers union backed a full slate of 4 candidates.
A rival slate of 3 candidates was backed by both a grassroots group calling itself the Advance Change Together In Our Neighborhood (ACTION) PAC and the Barrington Township Republican Organization (BTRO).
Two incumbent school board members sought reelection. Board Member Michael Shackelton lost his bid for reelection, and was not part of either of the opposing slates. According to unofficial returns, he finished in 7th place.
Update 4/12/21: With the McHenry County clerk’s correction to returns applied and with updates from Cook, Kane and Lake counties, no lead-changes took place, though the order of finish among the winners now has the two union-backed candidates finishing in the top two positions.
The ACTION/BTRO candidates dropped from 2nd & 3rd places, to 3rd & 4th, while still winning election to the D220 school board.
Here are the latest unofficial returns through Monday afternoon, with candidates identified by the slate they were part:
| D220 School Board (4) | McHenry | Kane | Lake | Cook | Total | |
| x | Erin Chan Ding (Union-backed) | 84 | 43 | 1,373 | 1,144 | 2,644 |
| x | Katie Karam (ACTION/BTRO) | 109 | 26 | 1,252 | 1,008 | 2,395 |
| x | Steve Wang (ACTION/BTRO) | 105 | 20 | 1,194 | 983 | 2,302 |
| x | Sandra Ficke-Bradford (Union) (i) | 77 | 38 | 1,251 | 1,037 | 2,403 |
| Malgorzata McGonigal (ACTION/BTRO) | 86 | 17 | 1,050 | 808 | 1,961 | |
| Lauren Berkowitz Klauer (Union) | 74 | 28 | 1,015 | 924 | 2,041 | |
| Michael Shackleton (i) | 71 | 14 | 912 | 773 | 1,770 | |
| Thomas Mitoraj (Union) | 62 | 25 | 965 | 707 | 1,759 | |
| Robert Windon | 36 | 16 | 587 | 575 | 1,214 | |
| William Betz | 27 | 15 | 358 | 314 | 714 | |
| Jonathan Matta | 23 | 11 | 285 | 318 | 637 |
There have been conflicting news stories concerning the involvement of the BTRO.
McHenry County Blog confirmed the BTRO issued endorsements in the nonpartisan D220 school board race, as well as the Harper College Board and Barrington Area Library District races. Whether the BTRO worked outside of Barrington Township in Cook County is unknown.
More information on the issues facing the D220 school board which likely impacted the outcome of the election can be found at The Barrington Hills Observer blog here.
Boo Teachers Union backed Candidates—guaranteed if the residents and voters knew this they, given the current climate about Teachers and Unions, no way they elect these shills.
So little knowledge and information about candidates, people just voting by name and order on the ballot.
Need information in the hands of voters, free type of information.
“Information”, you say?
We live in the INFORMATION age!!
If they vote for union control, they’re either willfully ignorant (read: virtue voting), or completely stupid.
Nobody in BARRINGTON has an excuse to “not know” something.
They’re not stupid.
They all have a smart phone and an “education”.
They’re virtue voting again.
On YOUR kids behalf.
While they send theirs to private school.
🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻
Ding (along) & Lauren Berkowitz Klauer are horrible Marxist indoctrinators preaching that everything is white supremacy.
I meant Ding (o-ling)
See, when non-teachers union aligned forces actually put money and effort into a race they CAN win.
Let that be a lesson for Tyler Wilke, wherever the heck he is!
Tyler Wilkie is stuffing his fat face with 2 buckets of KFC.
Teachers unions are the worst. Degenerates all.