In the very few partisan elections—all townships—Republican Party candidates brushed aside the challenge from Obama-energized Algonquin and Nunda Township Democrats.
In McHenry and Dorr Townships no Democrats filed.
Dorr Township Green Party candidate Frank Wedig was competitive, running 158 votes behind the lowest Republican, Joseph Evanoff. Wedig had 84% of the votes of the lowest Republican vote getter. (That is the margin prior to adding in absentee and early voting results, which were not tremendous this election.)
Running enough candidates to take control of the Algonquin Township Board, the highest Democrat, Robert Frank, was behind the lowest Republican, Joe Powalowski, by 770 votes prior to adding in the absentee and early votes.
Frank had just over 77% of the votes received by Powalowski.
In Nunda Township, before folding in the absentee and early votes, the highest Democratic Party candidate, Meridith Sarkees, was trailing the bottom Republican, Kelvin Jennings by 473 votes.
The ratio was a bit less than 4-3 in the Republicans’ favor.
The reason might be that the Democrats’ township candidates could not muster the enthusiasm that Barack Obama did.
The disparity in national popularity poll results may have also helped motivate local Republicans. Pew Survey results release yesterday show that 88% of Democrats are pleased with their new president’s performance, but only 27% of Republicans agree. The disparity is 61 percentage points—“the most polarized in modern times.”
That polarization may have helped motivated Republicans to the polls locally as a way to push back at November’s national Democratic victory.
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That’s Powalowski in my driveway holding his and Neils Sorensen’s sign on top. Nunda Township Democratic Party Trustee candidate Patrick Murfin can be seen asking for a vote below.
