Walsh defeats Singer for county CEO
BY CINDY WOJDYLA CAIN ccain@stmedianetwork.com November 6, 2012 7:08PM
Larry Walsh Jr., candidate for 86th District Representative, (left) and his father and Will County Executive, Larry Walsh, (right) watch election results come in at the Jacob Henry Mansion in Joliet Tuesday, November 6, 2012. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media
RESULTS
(i) denotes incumbent
Will County executive
(i) Lawrence M. “Larry” Walsh 129,191, 54%
Cory Singer 111,548, 46%
310 of 310 precincts reporting
Article Extras
Updated: December 8, 2012 6:21AM
Two-term Will County Executive Larry Walsh defeated challenger Cory Singer in Tuesday’s election.
Walsh, D-Elwood, held a 53 percent to 47 percent lead for most of the night. He attributed his lead to a healthy voter turnout.
“I’m very, very humbled for the support that I have received and the number of votes that I have received from the constituents and throughout Will County,” Walsh said.
Singer, R-Frankfort, a 10-year veteran of the county board, had been hopeful earlier in the evening when he won precincts in some Democratic areas. He could not be reached for comment later in the evening.
During the campaign, Singer, who also serves as president of the Will County Forest Preserve District board, was the aggressor, claiming Walsh, D-Elwood, practiced an old-fashioned style of politics more commonly found in Cook County and Chicago.
Singer participated in two press conferences that zeroed in on local Democrats, including Walsh, for not fighting hard enough to keep Cook County Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., out of Will County’s business.
Singer, 40, also criticized Walsh for not doing more for economic development. And he highlighted 11 Walsh relatives who have public payroll jobs that total about $700,000 in wages.
Walsh, 64, defended his record in office, which he said has led to balanced budgets, stable property taxes and the multi-million dollar Build Will program for roads and bridges. He said that the $100,000 the county pays the Will County Center for Economic Development is money well spent and there is no need to create a separate Will County economic development department.
Walsh, a former state senator and Will County Board member, said he never hired a relative to work in county government. Also, Walsh said many of his relatives got their government jobs before he was first elected executive in 2004.
Walsh said he told voters eight years ago that he would be a full-time chief executive officer for the county and he has lived up to that promise.
Because he did not seek re-election to the board, Singer will be out of office come Dec. 3.
