Lake County Board Member - District 17
March 17, 2026 · Lake County, Illinois · County · primary
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".
County Supervisor is responsible for:
- Serving on the county's governing board
- Passing the county budget and local rules
- Overseeing county services such as roads, health programs, and elections
- Deciding land use in areas outside city limits
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Eleanor Sweet McDonnell
Republican · declared
North Barrington village president and declared Republican write-in candidate for Lake County Board District 17.
Joe Salvi
Republican · declared
Attorney, Navy Reserve veteran, and Republican nominee for Lake County Board District 17.
Mary Mesa
Democratic · declared
Democratic nominee for Lake County Board District 17 with an Illinois-registered candidate committee.
Election sources
Source: lakecountyil.gov
Source: lakecountyil.gov
Source: results.enr.clarityelections.com