Patrick Kenneally Wins McHenry County State's Attorney Primary

Patrick Kenneally won the Republican primary race for McHenry County State’s Attorney with an almost 2-1 lead over Dan Regna, according to unofficial results posted Thursday evening on the McHenry County Clerk's Office website.

Kenneally, 37, who has been an assistant state's attorney for nine years, battled Dan Regna, 51, a former state’s attorney, for the open spot in the Republican primary race Tuesday. Keneally pulled in 30,733 votes -- or 66 percent of the vote total -- to win over Regna, who had 15,925 ballots cast in his favor.

Due to several issues at the polls Tuesday, it took the McHenry County Clerk's Office nearly 48 hours to tally the unofficial results, according to the Northwest Herald. Now, one local politician is calling on the State Board of Elections to investigate the clerk's office's handling of the election.

>>> State Board of Elections Asked to Investigate Primary Election Day Issues in McHenry County

Kenneally is now slated to run unopposed in the November general election to fill the spot held by current State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi. Bianchi, who has been the state's attorney since 2004, announced in December he would not seek re-election due to family and personal concerns, the Daily Herald reports. His term ends on Dec. 1.

Regna, a long-time resident of McHenry County and a local attorney, ran unsuccessfully against Bianchi in the 2008 primary, while Kenneally, who has never run for political office, said while campaigning for the seat that his recent experience in the state's attorney's office made him the stronger candidate, according to the Daily Herald.

Kenneally, of Crystal Lake, wants to focus on dealing with the county's growing opiod and heroin epidemic, supports term limits, and wants to crack down on repeat drunken driver offenders, the Northwest Herald reports. He also has received the endorsement of Bianchi.

The campaign was not been free of mudslinging.

During the campaign, Regna handed out a 2010 Barrington Police Department report while both candidates were being interviewed by the Daily Herald that detailed a domestic call that involved Kenneally and his wife. According to the report, Kenneally's wife called police from the couple's upstairs bathroom to report a fight that had become physical between her and Kenneally, according to the Daily Herald.

Police responded to the home and found Kenneally, who was drunk, outside his home and when they asked Kenneally about the domestic situation, he "became belligerent and insulting," according to the newspaper. He was not arrested and charges were never filed.