November 01, 2024
Election
Election

Underwood widens lead over Oberweis as Lake County posts votes from more mail-in ballots

By Charles Keeshan

As more vote by mail ballots are counted, freshman U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, has pulled ahead of state Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, in a race that remains very close. (Shaw Media)

After another late-night ballot dump in Lake County, U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood’s lead has widened in her hard-fought race for reelection against Republican challenger Jim Oberweis.

The new unofficial results from Lake County, posted just after 10 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, give the Naperville Democrat a total of 192,580 votes to 191,443 for Oberweis, a 1,137-vote advantage.

The update came less than 24 hours after a late Saturday, Nov. 7, posting by the Lake County clerk’s office flipped the race in Underwood’s favor, turning the count from a 558-vote disadvantage to a 584-vote edge.

However, the counting in the 14th District is not over and additional updates are expected over the next nine to 10 days. Mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day that arrive at county clerks’ offices by Nov. 17 will be counted, as will provisional ballots.

The Lake County clerk's office has said it plans an update Nov. 17, and the McHenry County clerk is expected to post final totals Nov. 18. Kendall and Will counties are waiting until Nov. 17. DeKalb is waiting until Nov. 18.

Oberweis, a state senator from Sugar Grove, declared victory in a video posted Wednesday, Nov. 4, when he led by 895 votes. The Underwood campaign called the proclamation premature.

The 14th District includes parts of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, DeKalb and Kendall counties.