MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (KFVS) – The race for Jackson County State’s Attorney was a nail-biter, ending in a tie on Election Day, November 5. But after weeks of waiting, the winner has finally been announced!
On November 19, election officials gathered to count the provisional ballots—those extra votes that come in after Election Day. Heartland News was outside the courthouse as the results came in.
Here’s the big news: Democrat Marsha Cascio-Hale won the race, picking up 106 additional votes. Incumbent Republican Joe Cervantez ended with 87 extra votes. When you add these to the votes from Election Day, Cascio-Hale pulled ahead to claim victory.
Both candidates had an exact tie on November 5, with 10,805 votes each—a first for Jackson County, according to Clerk Frank Byrd. That tie made the mail-in and provisional ballots the deciding factor.
Cascio-Hale shared her excitement on Facebook but hasn’t made a public comment just yet. On the other hand, Cervantez shared his thoughts on Tuesday night, admitting he had lost the race.
It’s official: Jackson County has a new State’s Attorney, and it was a race for the history books!
