Lake County Gazette

More than eight months after voters went to the polls, former Lake County Sheriff Mark C. Curran Jr. recently announced he would end his recount challenge of the results that left Democrat John Idleburg holding a 137-vote lead to take over the office and instead would seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. 

“After manually and electronically reviewing the ballots cast in approximately 60 percent of the electoral precincts which were court-ordered to be recounted, it is clear to me that, even though the tally of total votes cast for Lake County Sheriff will likely be modified from the previously reported 137-vote difference, a further recount will not result in a change in the outcome of the election,” Curran said in a statement. “As a result, I intend to notify the Lake County Circuit Court that I will voluntarily dismiss my Election Contest Petition this week.”

Curran, who served as Lake County sheriff from 2006 to 2018, announced on August 16 that he hopes to challenge U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in the race for the Senate seat that the Democrat has held for four terms.

“Given the current toxic partisan climate of both government and politics in the United States, many people I spoke to about my intentions asked me ‘Why on earth would you put yourself through that ?’ The answer is simple," Curran said in a press announcement. "It is because our Federal government is a gridlocked cesspool of career politicians controlled by special interests that I felt the need to be part of the solution."

In the days following the Nov. 6, 2018 election for sheriff, where more than 245,000 votes were cast, Curran moved to obtain a court-ordered recount of those election results.

In making his latest announcement, Curran took time to thank those who have stood with him in his pursuit for fairness and accuracy, including Lake County Republican Party Chairman Mark Shaw and his organization of precinct committeemen.

“Protecting Lake County families as their sheriff for the last 12 years has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime, and I wish Sheriff Idleburg and the men and women of the Lake County Sheriff’s office who swore oaths to continue to protect our families, all the best,” Curran said in the statement.