<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1Wljqm_1GpG1uEz00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1Wljqm_1GpG1uEz00" width="1000" height="563" ><figcaption>Illinois state Sen. Dave Syverson and Democratic challenger Sarah Mertens are vying for a 35th District seat in the Illinois Senate.</figcaption></figure>Rock River CurrentROCKFORD — Candidates for 35th District state Senate continue to watch results filter in as they wait to learn the final outcome of a close contest that’s separated by less than a percentage point.Democratic Party challenger Sarah Mertens, a Crystal Lake educator and martial arts instructor, said she’s watching mail-in ballots come in and working with those who cast provisional ballots to ensure their vote is counted.“We are anticipating mail-in votes will continue coming in, and we know they tend to favor Democrats. I don’t know that it will swing the results, but it is a possibility,” Mertens said in response to emailed questions from the Rock River Current. “I knew before election night that it would be a close race, and that is proving more true than I expected.”Election results are unofficial until they’re certified two weeks after Election Day. During that time, mail-in ballots can be counted if they’re postmarked by Election Day.The 35th District includes portions of five counties: Boone, Winnebago, DeKalb, McHenry and Kane. Only Kane County updated its vote totals on Thursday night, with Mertens gaining a small amount of ground on the lead held by Syverson.As of Thursday night, Syverson is leading with 50.83% of the vote, a total of 1,426 votes. The lead was 1,517 votes at the end of Election Night.<h2>Unofficial results</h2>35th DistrictVotes PercentageDave Syverson 43,702 50.83%Sarah Mertens 42,276 49.17%Updated as of 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5Source: Rock River Current; election authorities in Boone, Winnebago, DeKalb, Kane and McHenry countiesSyverson said earlier this week that he is also watching mail-in ballots before knowing the final outcome.“For now, we will be patient as the remaining votes are counted,” he said in a social media post.Syverson has been in the state Senate since 1993, first representing the 34th District for 20 years before redistricting moved him into the 35th. He’s represented the 35th District since 2013.Mertens is making her first attempt at elected office. She works as a substitute teacher and playground supervisor at her local schools, and leads women’s self-defense classes while raising two elementary school aged children with her husband. She challenged Syverson in a district that is expected to lean Republican, and he hasn’t been challenged in a general election since 2010.“I am not a career politician, and this is my first foray into politics,” Mertens told the Current. “Because I stayed true to myself, I was more comfortable on the campaign trail. I think that really resonated with voters. It was certainly very difficult juggling being a mom of two elementary kids with extracurricular activities, a part-time employee at two schools, and a PTO chair and volunteer at my school all while campaigning. But continuing being myself is what kept me grounded during the campaign process. It kept me connected to the community that I am working so hard to serve. I couldn’t have done it alone, though. I had the help and support of wonderful volunteers, not to mention my husband, who ensured our children made it to all of their activities these past several months.”This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas</div></body>

Block Source: rockrivercurrent.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

ROCKFORD — Candidates for 35th District state Senate continue to watch results filter in as they wait to learn the final outcome of a close contest that’s separated by less than a percentage point. Democratic Party challenger Sarah Mertens, a Crystal Lake educator and martial arts instructor, said...

More votes filter in for close race between Syverson, Mertens

NewsBreak

ROCKFORD — Candidates for 35th District state Senate continue to watch results filter in as they wait to learn the final outcome of a close contest that’s 

More votes filter in for close race between Syverson, Mertens

Comments / 1