Frerichs Takes Lead in State Treasurer Race

As the vote count continues, Democrat Michael Frerichs has reportedly taken the lead over Republican Tom Cross in the race for state treasurer.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Frerichs campaign announced it had a 492-vote lead over Cross, who currently serves as the 97th District state representative. By 10 p.m., privately run website Illinois Election Data put Frerichs’ lead at 9,439 votes. Frerichs began the day Tuesday about 500 votes behind Cross.

• Cross vs. Frerichs: Historically Close Race Could Lead to Recount

Election results will be certified by the Illinois State Board of Elections on Nov. 30.

“Although the Cross campaign has been privately telling donors that they expect to lose by 500 votes and seek a recount, we have believed that if the trend continues of Frerichs performing strong in downstate and the suburbs, Frerichs would win by more than 1,000 votes,” Frerichs spokesman Dave Clarkin said Tuesday. “Today, the trend has been even better than expected, and we hope it continues. People we have talked to on both sides of the aisle have said that a recount would be frivolous if the margin is more than 1000 votes.”