Blackburn Wins Race to County Auditor in Election Night Nail Biter

The majority of Will County residents didn't "vote for good" Tuesday night in selecting their next auditor.

Incumbent democratic candidate Kevin “Duffy” Blackburn edged republican opponent Gary Good, snaring 148,070 votes to his 132,589. Blackburn ultimately earned the green light by commandeering nearly 53 percent of voters' ballots.

He was initially elected in 2008 and again in 2012. The role of the Will County Auditor’s Office is to provide residents financial and operational transparency pertaining to local government as well as be a resource for those wanting to report suspected fraud, waste or abuse.

The auditor must also investigate all claims against the county; collect, analyze and preserve statistical and financial information about the operational costs for various county institutions and facilities; maintain a file of all contracts; and conduct internal audits of operations and financial records for officers, agents, or divisions of the county.

Blackburn is a Joliet resident who has served two consecutive terms as Will County Auditor. He is a Certified Public Accountant and fraud examiner, having earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Iowa and two master degrees in business and accounting from Keller Graduate School.

In 2011, he was named Illinois County Auditor of the Year and is the current chair of the Committee for Will County’s Finance System. He is also an appointed member of the Government Executive Committee of the Illinois CPA Society.

During his first term in office, Blackburn reduced the auditor’s office budget by $1.1 million, or nearly 40 percent, to help the county fund capital projects, according to his website.

“I will continue to improve our office's programs for performance measuring, fraud prevention and auditing performance concerning the installation of a new finance system,” he told The Chicago Tribune, when asked which specific initiatives he would pursue if reelected.

Photos courtesy of campaign Facebook pages for Kevin "Duffy" Blackburn (left) and Gary Good (right).