Kathy Michael

Democrat Joshua Crockett emphasized recent missteps made by four-term Republican incumbent Kathy Michael, who has been the county clerk since 2010.

Illinois is one of a handful of states that does not require photo ID verification at the polls. This begs the question: How do polling sites verify you are who you say? The answer is through signatures, either gotten through your original polling registration or updated through DMV records.

A Statement of Organization is required to be filed with Illinois State Board of Elections within 10 days of a campaign exceeding the $5,000 threshold in contributions or expenses. Violators are subject to a $50 per day fine.

McLean County Democrats see an opening in the race for McLean County clerk as incumbent Republican Kathy Michael has been subject to severe scrutiny about her budget and tax errors. If successful, Joshua Crockett would be the first Democrat elected to a countywide office in decades.

McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael defended her record and addressed recent administrative errors while facing a challenge from Democrat Joshua Crockett at WGLT's candidate forum. Crockett pointed to budget overruns and tax bill mistakes as a call for new leadership, while the incumbent Republican argued her office has corrected course and remains financially sound.

The chair of the McLean County Board said she is not yet satisfied with the solution of a loan to the village of Hudson to make up for an error in tax collection.

In a press conference Friday morning, McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael said scrutiny about her office's spending in 2025 was a politically-motivated attempt to slander her in an election year.

The chair of the McLean County Board said the recent awarding of $1.7 million in mental health and human service funding shows the potential of an intergovernmental agreement using shared tax money to improve the community.

Crockett said it's time for a fresh face in the office and he wants to do innovative things other county clerks do, such as employ universal polling places.

The skirmishing between Democratic McLean County Board members and Republican McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael continued as Michael did not appear before the board Executive Committee Monday afternoon.