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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Friday, November 8, 2024

Republicans sweep Madison County elections, claim 20-6 supermajority on county board

Campaigns & Elections
Webp mcmaster and kincheloe

From left, Republicans David McMaster and Brynn Kincheloe ousted Democratic incumbents to help Republicans increase their supermajority on the Madison County Board. | Facebook

Madison County's government continued to reflect the growing Republican strength within its electorate, as the GOP appeared to sweep the races for all open county board seats.

According to unofficial vote totals from the Madison County Clerk's office, Madison County voters said Republicans has increased its dominance on the county board by two additional seats to its majority, claiming a 20-6 advantage over Democrats.

Republicans have held a supermajority on the county board since 2022, in the first election after the board was reduced to members representing 26 districts following the 2020 Census and reapportionment.

Three Republican candidates also ran unopposed in their county board districts, including incumbent Frank Dickerson in District 3; Linda K. Ogden in District 7, replacing Republican Michael Turner; and incumbent Terry Eaker in District 15.

Republicans also won all contested races.

In District 12, Republican Donald P. McMaster ousted Democrat Robert Pollard, 1,829 votes to 1,665, adding a seat to the GOP majority.

In District 13, Republican Brynn D. Kincheloe bested Democrat Matthew A. King, 2,265 votes to 2,040.

In District 22, Republican Linda Wolfe bested Democrat Jim Trucano in the race to replace County Board member Ryan Kneedler, also a Republican. Wolfe received 2,532 votes to 2,397 for Trucano.

In District 23, incumbent Republican County Board member Paul Nicolussi defeated Carolyn "Carol" Hogan-Dewey, 2,563 votes to 2,333.

In District 24, Republican Fred Schulte topped Democrat Cheryl Hagerty in the race for an open seat. Schulte received 3,255 votes to 2,638 for Hagerty.

In District 25, Republican incumbent County Board member Chris Guy defended his seat against Democrat Stacey Lipe, receiving 3,431 votes to 2,595 for Lipe.

And in District 26, Republican incumbent County Board member Jason Palmero appeared to have narrowly fended off Democrat Jacqueline "Jackie" Day by a mere 13 votes. According to posted totals, Palmero received 2,686 votes to 2,673 votes for Day. 

In 2021, the Madison County Board voted 23-1 to downsize the map from 29 seats to 26. Board members at the time said the new map was easily approved by a bipartisan majority to save the county's taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in salaries and other costs for board members.

The board will also again be led by a Republican, after former county Treasurer Chris Slusser won election running unopposed in the general election. 

Slusser had defeated former Chairman Kurt Prenzler in the Republican primary election in March.

And Republicans also ran unopposed for all other county offices on the ballot, with Tom Haine securing another term as State's Attorney; Patrick McRae as Clerk of the Circuit Court; David Michael as Auditor; and Nicholas Novacich, as Coroner.

The sweeping victories at the county level served to highlight a key loss at the state level for Republicans, as challenger and former Edwardsville Police Chief Jay Keeven lost his bid to unseat incumbent Democratic State Rep. Katie Stuart in the 112th State House District. The district was created by Democrats in Springfield under a heavily partisan gerrymandered map created to help Democrats maintain and possibly grow their supermajority in Springfield, by carving Democratic districts even in predominantly Republican areas of the state, like Madison County.

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