Chasteen Celebrates Re-Election To Will County Circuit Clerk

Last updated at 8:33 a.m. Nov. 4

JOLIET, IL — Incumbent Will County Circuit Clerk Andrea Chasteen is poised to serve another four years in office after garnering nearly 29,000 more votes than Republican challenger Anthony Granata, according to unofficial vote totals. Chasteen, a Democrat from Frankfort, was seeking a second term in office. This marked Granata's first run for political office.

With 100 percent of Will County's precincts reporting, Chasteen had 54.6 percent, with 171,088 votes, while Granata had 45.4 percent, with 143,105 votes, according to unofficial totals from the Will County Clerk's Office.

Chasteen vs. Granata Election results

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According to Will County, the Circuit Clerk maintains records related to all traffic, civil, and criminal cases filed and heard in Will County. The employees of the office interact with people and lawyers on matters such as collecting and disbursing traffic fines, civil fees and child support. The office records all legal documents and maintains a record of all the Will County cases.

The Circuit Clerk is elected every four years and it's considered a non-judicial office of the state of Illinois government. The officeholder does not need to be a lawyer. Additionally, the Circuit Court Clerk receives and holds all trust monies that are ordered to be dispersed by Will County's judges as a result of courtroom proceedings.

Chasteen, the Democrat incumbent from Frankfort, took to her Facebook page in recent days to lament how the coronavirus has drastically changed her way of campaigning.

"This year has been exceptionally different because of the pandemic," Chasteen informed her followers. "I truly miss many things where I get to meet great people like Catfish days, the evening parade in Lockport, great concerts in New Lenox, Mokena’s awesome Fourth of July Parade, Manhattan’s Irish Fest, Taste of Joliet, races and baseball in Joliet, and my favorite the Frankfort Fall Fest plus many more. When people ask me where I am from I say “Will County.”

She also thanked the Will-Grundy Building Trades and the Will-Grundy Central Trades for publishing their candidate endorsements of her in Will County's Labor Record Newspaper.

According to the Illinois Sunshine Database, the Friends of Andrea Lynn Chasteen political candidate committee had $19,033 in funds available for her campaign as of Sept. 30. According to the campaign filings, many of Chasteen's biggest contributions came in 2019 as she was gearing up for her re-election.

Her largest donors from 2019 included: $1,000 from AFT Local 604, $1,000 from Liuna Chicago Laborers District Council, $5,000 from Harris & Harris, $1,500 from John Lancaster, $1,000 from the IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund, $1,000 from I.U.O.E. Local 150 Local Area Political Action Committee, $1,000 from Iron Workers Local Union 444, $1,000 from Sheet Metal Workers 265, another $1,000 donation from Liuna Chicago Laborers District Council.

Additionally, Chasteen received several $500 donations toward her re-election last year from the following entities: Fifth Third Bancorp PAC, Southlands Friends of Labor, Local 444 IPAL Fund and the IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund.

The Illinois Sunshine Database does not show any records of a political action committee set up to raise funds for Granata, the Republican challenger from Frankfort who is making his first bid for elected office in Will County.

Granata's campaign has been about bringing change to the circuit clerk's office.

"After over 25 years of political profit on YOUR dime, it's time to send Chasteen into retirement from the public sector. Welcome to the real world Andrea!" Granata recently posted on this Facebook campaign page.

Related Joliet Patch 2020 election coverage:

Granata: Will County Circuit Clerk Must Return Donations
Coronavirus Totals Distorted, Will County Republicans Agree
Circuit Clerk Chasteen Launches iGuilty Program For Defendants

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