Republicans win in Winnebago County, not necessarily Rockford, not always Illinois
Winners: Jim Webster, Susan Goral, Jennifer Muraski, Andrew Chesney, and John Cabello.
In Tuesday's mid-term elections on Nov. 8, 2022, Republican candidates were popular among Winnebago County voters. Rockford - and Illinois as a whole - leaned Democrat. That pushed incumbent Treasurer Susan Goral over the finish line as a Democrat.
Winnebago County Board, District 2 (including Rockton)
- Jim Webster (R): 64%
- Lindsey Lancaster (D): 36%
- Susan Goral (D): 50.11%
- Steve Schultz (R): 49.89%
- Jennifer Muraski (R): 57.10%
- Tony Gasparini (D): 42.90%
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Tammy Duckworth (D) won re-election to the U.S. Senate with 57% of the vote statewide, though the numbers were reversed in Winnebago-County-excluding-Rockford, where Republican Kathy Salvi won 57% of the vote.
The Constitutional Amendment Collective Bargaining Amendment was victorious statewide, 61% to 39%, though only 48% of non-Rockford voters in the county approved of it.
Likewise, if you exclude Rockford, Winnebago County voted 58% to 39% for Darren Bailey for governor. But in the statewide election, which is what counts, JB Pritziker won re-election 55% to 42%. Libertarian Scott Schluter gained 3% of the vote. None of the other statewide Republican candidates won their races either, echoing the prediction of the Democratic Governors Association that the slate was "too conservative for Illinois."
However, Republicans will continue to represent Roscoe and Rockton in the Illinois General Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives. Darin LaHood (R) will take over the 16th District Congressional seat vacated by Adam Kinzinger. In the race for Illinois Senate District 45, Andrew Chesney (R) won 67% of the vote against Gerald Podraza (D). Podraza had 33%, a respectable showing considering he began as a Democratic write-in candidate in a Republican district. John Cabello, who defeated Roscoe Village President Mark Szula in the primary, had no Democratic opponent in the general election. So he will return to the Illinois House, this time in the 90th District.
