Ogle County Voters Back GOP Candidates in 55.4% Turnout Election
Republican candidates captured the majority of votes in Ogle County races Tuesday, even as Democratic nominees secured statewide victories in Illinois.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Ogle County voters delivered a decisive signal on Tuesday by backing Republican candidates across the ballot. The county recorded a 55.4% voter turnout, with 19,641 ballots cast out of a total of 35,426 registered voters. This figure marked a drop from the 76.6% turnout seen in the 2024 general election, which saw 25,933 ballots cast.
In the governor’s race, 60.68% of Ogle County voters selected Republican Darren Bailey. Democrat JB Pritzker won the statewide race with 35.24% of the county’s votes. A similar pattern emerged in the U.S. Senate contest, where 60.14% chose Republican Don Tracy. Democrat Juliana Stratton secured the statewide victory with 7,471 votes in the county.
Republican candidates also led in races for Illinois attorney general, secretary of state, and state comptroller. Robert W. Fioretti received 61.73% of the vote for attorney general, while Diane M. Harris garnered 58.54% for secretary of state. Bryan Drew captured 62% of the vote for state comptroller. Max Solomon led the state treasurer race with 61% of the county’s support, although Democrat Michael W. Frerichs won the statewide office.
Down-ballot races showed consistent Republican strength. Incumbent Darin LaHood won the U.S. House race for the 16th District with 62.24% of Ogle County votes. In the state legislature, Andrew Chesney retained his Senate seat in the 45th District with 65.34% of the vote, and Bradley Fritts held his representative seat in the 74th District with 59.69%. Tony McCombie ran unopposed for the 89th District state representative seat.
Local officials and board members largely secured their positions without opposition. Rebecca Duke, Ogle County treasurer Tiffany O’Brien, and Sheriff Brian VanVickle all won unopposed. Fifteen other candidates for the Ogle County Board ran without opponents. In the 7th District board race, Republican Brion Brooks defeated Democrat Jacob Nicholson with 65.38% of the vote. Christopher Tennyson also won unopposed for ESR superintendent of schools.
Voters retained three judges on the county bench. John B. Roe IV received 85% of the vote to stay on the bench, while J. Jerry Kane and Douglas E. Lee retained their positions with 84.07% and 84.41% support, respectively. Of the total ballots cast, 13,970 were cast in person on election day, accounting for 71.1% of the total. Early voting represented 19.3% of ballots, while 9.6% were cast by mail.
The results reflect a local electorate that diverged from statewide trends in several key races. While Democrats took the top statewide offices, Republican candidates maintained control of local and regional seats. The voting breakdown shows a clear preference for Republican nominees in Ogle County across both legislative and executive contests.
