The biggest is the write-in challenge of Sascha Chadwick to Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley.

As McHenry County Blog reported the night it happened, Shepley managed to convince his fellow City Council members that Chadwick, a CPA and entrepreneur.  (See “CL Incumbents Eliminate Competition.”)

How many votes will Chadwick need to get to beat Shepley?

Four years ago, theee were 1,696 cast for mayor when Shepley ran unopposed.

That year the three city council members also ran for re-election unopposed.

With the large number of Crystal Lake High School District 155 Board candidates, the total number of votes might be higher, but one must also take into account that the general McHenry County area has lost population since 2010.

So maybe guess that 1,700 votes will be cast might not be too far off the mark.

If I were Chadwick, I would be aiming for 1,000 votes.

27,199 were registered to vote in Crystal Lake four years, so one can see the turnout was pathetic.

A write-in candidacy against someone on the ballot is very difficult to win.

The last time one of this magnitude was successful was in 1973 when Forrest B. Hare ran as a write-in for re-election as Algonquin Township Assessor.  He won about 2-1 over the Establishment-backed school teacher who had edged him out in a township Republican caucus in which not recount was allowed.  (Once one has lost in a primary election now, state law does not allow one to run as a write-in.)

Two stepped forward to run for a Cary Village Trustee vacancy:

• Kimberly A. Covelli
• Jim Cosler

In  Cary there are already three people on the ballot for three openings.

In Lakewood Republican Precinct Committeeman Paul Serwatka has stepped up to the plate to run against three on the ballot.  The village has just approved a Tax Increment Financing District to pave the way for an $80 million SportsPlex at the intersection of Routes 47 and 176.

Of those on the Lakewood ballot–all incumbents–Gary Sexson II and J. Carl Davis voted in favor of the creating the TIF District, while Ken Santowski did not.

There are several write-in candidates for Library District:

• Fatima M. Sanchez for the Algonquin Area Public Library Board
• David Moore for the Huntley Public Library Board
• Kathleen C. Hughes for the Johnsburg Public Library Board
• Cynthia Allen Schenk for the Marengo-Union Public Library Board
• Bradley Schubert for the McHenry Public Library Board
• Margaret W. Carey for the McHenry Public Library Board

Several school boards will see write-in candidacies.

Bryan Millard is running for the Riley Grade School District 18’s two-year term.  Strangely, there are three openings for a four-year term with no one on the ballot, but there is not two-year term up.

Cary Grade School District 26 drew four write-in candidates.  There are three openings, but only Scott Coffey is on the ballot.

• Benjamin C. Washow for one of three Cary Grade School District 26’s four-year term
• Mary Ruys for one of three Cary Grade School District 26’s four-year term
• Brian Hauck for one of three Cary Grade School District 26’s four-year term
• Bruce Ritter for one of three Cary Grade School District 26’s four-year term

The Wonder Lake Grade School District, called Harrison, has Kelly M. Didier running against Bob Anderson for the two-year opening.  Anderson tried unsuccessfully to get several candidates knocked off the ballot.

Prairie Grove Grade School District 46 has two people on the ballot for three spots.  Two write-in candidacies have surfaced:

• Barclay Butler
• James L Kastner

In Woodstock Jerry Miceli is the only candidate who has filed for the slot for which no one appears on the ballot.

Four people stepped forward as candidates for the obscure McHenry County Regional Board of School Trustees:

• Matthew F. Meyer
• Eric M. Dowd
• Paul Serwatka
• Kelly Liebmann

The Board settles school boundary disputes.

The Hebron Alden Greenwood Fire Protection District has two spots, but only one person, Art Erickson, filed a petition.  William A. Malmgren, Jr., has filed as a write-in candidate.

The Wonder Lake Fire Protection District has two openings.  Greenwood Township Supervisor Barbara Klasen is the only one on the ballot.  Stephen M. Young has filed as a write-in.

Finally, the Fox Waterway Agency has Daniel Mitchell on the ballot, but there are two vacancies. Two other people filed for the office:

• William A. Hellyer of Algonquin
• Barry J. Lemcke of Johnsburg