McHenry County Blog

The Illinois Manufacturing Association’s poll predicted that David McSweeney would defeat appointed incumbent Kent Gaffney and in the McHenry County portion of the 52nd District he is.

Taken Thursday, the poll had McSweeney at 47%, Gaffney at 32% and Danielle Rowe at 21%.

The order was accurate, although the numbers seem to have tightened.

With 74% of the McHenry County part of the district counted, here’s where things stand:

This is only a partial return. I'm hunting for the other counties' results next.

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With 96% of the McHenry County votes in, the results remain similar:

Unless there are large absentee and early voting outstanding, these numbers indicated that Dave McSweeney carried McHenry County handily, despite having virtually no endorsements of local elected officials or notables.

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Results are complete in Lake County for the race and McSweeney leads there, too, as you can see below:

David McSweeny came in first in Lake County. All precincts are reporting. Of course, there could be missing early and absentee votes. Click to enlarge.

With 12 of 13 precincts reporting in the Cook County portion of the 52nd District, the pattern is the same as in McHenry and Lake Counties:

• Dave McSweeeney
• Kent Gaffney
• Danielle Rowe

Same order in Cook County as the results were in McHenry and Lake. Click to enlarge.

And, in Kane County’s seven precincts, McSweeney duplicated his performance in the other three counties in the 52nd State Representative District:

In Kane County David McSweeney's winning pattern was replicated. Click to enlarge.

There is a Federal requirement that campaign mail be treated just like First Class mail during the last three weeks or so before an election.

This is one of three mailings from Kent Gaffney delivered on one Crystal Lake carrier route today.

All a candidate has to do is put a special red tag on his or her bulk mail.

So, will either State Rep. Kent Gaffney or his opponent or County Board members Donna Kurtz or Ken Koehler file a formal complaint  against the delivery person who must have deliberately delayed their campaign mailings?

Kurtz and Koehler have nothing to complain about.

How much better can it be to get your campaign pieces delivered the day before the election.

Gaffney, however, has a complaint.

Three of his mailings got delivered today.

And, McSweeney, if I were he, I would be pitching a fit.

Seven, I counted them, seven of his direct mail pieces got delivered today!

The mailings probably didn’t make any difference to this voter.  He told me that McSweeney himself called and spent a half an hour answering questions.

Now, that’s high touch.

There was worse Postal service prior to my last election.

A delivery person in Lake in the Hills stuck 14 pieces of my campaign mail in boxes the day of the election.

I still remember the anguished call from a woman who voted before she read that I was Pro-Life and Rosemary Kurtz was Pro-Choice.

“But she told me that you and she agreed on the issue,” was the comment I still remember.

The third candidate for State Rep. in the district is Danielle Rowe.

Here’s what appears to be State Rep. Kent Gaffney last mail piece can be seen below:

The address side of Kent Gaffney's final piece. He features his attractive family and his Chicago Tribune endorsement.

The back of the mailer again emphasizes endorsements:

This side lists endorsements and sumarizes the issues Kent Gaffney thinks are important.

Saturday night my wife was watching one of the Irish movies and saw Pam Althoff on the TV.

This picture of State Senator Pam Althoff or the screen before it must have been what caught my wife's attention during an Irish movie.

She asked me if Pam were running for office.

I told her Pam was, but that she didn’t have an opponent.

I watched a while, but didn’t see the ad.

Now, the Gaffney campaign has sent a copy of the cable TV ad, but it doesn’t seem to be on YouTube and I can’t figure out how to post it.

If the campaign sends me a YouTube version, I’ll post it below.

Gaffney is opposed by Dave McSweeney and Danielle Rowe.

Meanwhile, a volunteer political operative for McSweeney reports a favorable response from the two precincts he worked in Crystal Lake. He predicts McSweeney will receive close to 50% of the vote.

You surely would not know that appointed State Rep. Kent Gaffney is a candidate against Danielle Rowe from her latest and what must be her last mailing.

She continues on her “Revolution” theme, but aims her ammunition at Dave McSweeney, claiming, “The McCain-McSweeney Republican Party is one that opposes tax cuts, promotes bailouts of big banks, and supports amnesty for illegal aliens.”

This is the second time around for this message. (Click to enlarge any image.)

On the address side, Danielle repeats her criticism of Dave McSweeney's being too Establishment.

Danielle Rowe seeks to inspired Illinois voters with the example set in Wisconsin.

I imagine Gaffney is delighted at the mailing, because the Illinois Manufacturing Association poll last week showed McSweeney in first place with Rowe in third.

Trying to squeeze through the middle has to be Gaffney’s goal.

Crystal Lake's St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church is the location from which this campaign piece was retrieved.

So, what do you do on the morning of the Sunday before election day?

State Rep. candidate David McSweeney had volunteers handing out the piece you see below at at least one Catholic Church in Crystal Lake.

Probably at all Catholic and other presumed Pro-Life congregations as well.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Crystal Lake is the location where a friend of McHenry County Blog  found the the handout you see below on the family vehicle.

This piece comparing the positions on abortion of Dave McSweeney and Kent Gaffney were distributed in church parking lots.

Abortion is obviously a hot button issue for many, as the third candidate in the race, Danielle Rowe has told me. When she goes door-to-door that question is asked more than any other.

Daniell Rowe is set to ride through the 52nd District before rallying at her Prairie Grove Headquarters at 2.

A press release from Danielle Rowe:

Rowe Revolution Motorcycle run this Sunday

Please join us for a Rowe Revolution Rally Motorcycle run this Sunday.

We will meet and start lining up at 12:30PM. We will start at the Life Changers parking lot, 2500 Beverly Road in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Just look for the 10 foot x 20 foot mobile Danielle Rowe billboard – you can’t miss it!

We will drive through the district with the Danielle Rowe mobile billboard following behind us.

The Rally will end at our Citizens for Rowe Campaign Headquarters, 2510 Route 176 in Prairie Grove.

Join us there around 2:00 PM for free food and refreshments.

All are welcome to join us at our Campaign Headquarters at 2PM, regardless of whether you take part in the motorcycle run or not.

Danielle Rowe out on the highway.

A huge thank you to Woodstock Harley Davidson for providing us with a Harley for the weekend. Please visit them and Like their Facebook page.

I surmised that underfunded State Rep. candidate Danielle Rowe had sent out her last mailing earlier this week.

It was her second mailing.

Now a third has made it to McHenry County Blog, so I’m finished making predictions of how far Rowe can stretch her money.

Below you see the mailing that deserves to be called the “Revolution” piece:

The address side of Danielle Rowe's third mailing.

"Vote for a Revolution," Danielle Rowe's Friday mailing urges.

As the piece points out, Rowe is running against two guys, Kent Gaffney, the appointed State Representative, and David McSweeney.

Kent Gaffney

Dave McSweeney

Word from the Illinois Manufacturers Association is that challenger Dave McSweeney is doing quite well in the race to see who gets the first full term after State Rep. Mark Beaubien’s death.

Beaubien was replaced by the man who had been Beaubien’s chief budget guy in the Illinois House, Kent Gaffney.

A third candidate, Danielle Rowe, is also on the ballot.

The poll results follow:

• 47% – Dave McSweeney
• 32% – Kent Gaffney
• 21% – Danielle Rowe

Here’s what is probably the final mailing from State Rep. candidate Danielle Rowe.  She is the underfunded candidate challenging State Rep. Kent Gaffney and Dave McSweeney.

Here's the address side of Danielle Rowe's piece. Lots of copy. She stresses her Tea Party viewpoints and links David McSweeney with John McCain, who just came to Chicago for a McSweeney fund raiser.. Click to enlarge.

The back of Danielle Rowe's latest piece emphasizes rolling back tax hikes, cut state spending and take on the public sector unions and trial lawyers. Click to enlarge.

In still another mailing by State Rep. Kent Gaffney last week, the appointed State Rep., running against Danielle Rowe and David McSweeney, set the stage with the following headlines:

Pay raises for politicians?

Higher taxes and more spending?

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Those headlines are beneath photos of Pat Quinn and Mike Madigan, the State Capitol dome and hundred dollar bills.

The address side of the pay raise, higher taxes mailing.

On the back Kent Gaffney touts his endorsement by the Daily Herald and a favorable quote from Fox Chicago News.