While political thoughts of who from McHenry County might replace State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills) after the 2012 election first occupied my mind, someone has to fill the seat until the next legislator is elected.  That is from soon until the 2012 victor takes office.

The person selected to fill out State Rep. Mark Beaubien's term must live in his current 52nd district.

He or she will have to live in the Beaubien’s current district, the one going out of existence when the 2012 state representatives and senators take office.

Mark Beaubien's unopposed primary election results in 2010.

2010 general election results when Mark Beaubien ran unopposed.

I can’t remember whether the weighted vote among Downstate county chairman (read Lake and McHenry Counties) and the Barrington Township Republican Committeeman is from the primary election or the general election.  [Since I posted this article, I have verified with the State Board of Elections that the primary votes are the ones used.]

But, it turns out, that makes no difference in Beaubien’s  52nd District.

Lake County had the most votes for both the 2010 primary and general elections, out polling McHenry County by less than 1,000 votes.

But, McHenry County, plus Barrington Township, had more votes.  If combined, they could outvote Lake County.

Of course, the county chairmen might pick a consensus candidate, someone like 8th Congressional District State Central and Barrington Township Committeeman Gene Dawson, assuming he currently lives in the 52nd District.  He could be a place holder or run for a full term in the new district.  When Winnebago County GOP Chairman Jim Kelly appointed himself, however, there was an uproar and he lost the next primary election.  The future 52nd District map is below:

The 2012 52nd state representative district.

In addition, it occurs to me that when Tim Osmond, the last Lake County state rep. died, was JoAnne Osmond. Beaubien’s wife Dee is quite interested in the political process.

Another woman on the opposite side of social issues is retiring McHenry County Board member Barb Wheeler. She lives in the 52nd District now, but, if she ran for the office and won, would have to move to become a resident of the new district. Wheeler is former State Rep. Al Salvi’s sister. Salvi was the state representative whom Beaubien replaced when he ran for U.S. Senate against Dick Durbin.