Lake County Sheriff
November 3, 2026 · Lake County, Illinois · County · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 27 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 714,223 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(5,182,090 ÷ 714,223) ÷ ln(5,182,090 ÷ 3,605) = 27.26, comparing counties in IL (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
Sheriff is responsible for:
- Running the county's law-enforcement department, including deputies and patrols
- Running the county jail
- Serving court orders, such as evictions and warrants
- Providing courthouse security in many counties
Affected Areas: Immigration, Public Safety and Crime Control, Gun Control, Data Privacy, Civil Rights
Candidates
John D. Idleburg
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Lake County Sheriff serving a second term after a career in law enforcement and public safety.
Roman Buchberger
Republican · declared
Republican sheriff candidate and former law-enforcement professional with Lake County service experience.
Election sources
Source: lakecountyil.gov
Source: lakecountyil.gov