Kewanee voters who choose a Democratic Party ballot in the March 17 primary election will see that a familiar name isn’t on the ballot.

Jan May, a Democratic county board member from Kewanee since 2000, has decided not to run again.

“I thought 26 years probably was enough,” May said. “I believe in term limits, believe it or not.”

She said she had considered ending her term on the board in the past. But she serves on the board’s committee that administers the Hillcrest Home nursing home, and wanted to continue in that role.

Hillcrest is “near and dear to my heart,” May said, and “I just didn’t want to leave.”

There is only one Democrat on the ballot in the county board’s District 2, which includes Kewanee and Wethersfield townships: Maggie Jo Marin-Wheeler of Annawan is running for a four-year term.

The Democrats also don’t have candidates for sheriff or treasurer.

“People just don’t want to commit, and it’s a shame,” May said.

The primary offers few choices for voters when it comes to positions in the Henry County government.

Incumbents Republicans Kelly J. Vincent, county treasurer, and Joshua C. Verscheure, sheriff, are running unopposed for spots on the November general-election ballot. 

The Republicans have no candidate to oppose Democratic County Clerk Barb Link.

Five Republicans are running for five county board seats in District 1.

In District 2, which includes Kewanee and Wethersfield townships, there are six Republican candidates running for five seats: incumbents Marshall Jones and Natalie Hendrix as well as David Tomsic, Chad L. Winter, Deborah Casteel and Kevin Brown.

There is also a race for one two-year county board term, and Republicans Crystal Strode of Kewanee and Mike Rabas of Bishop Hill are running for that seat.

***This copy has been edited to correct the number of candidates running in the primary in District two on the Republican side. The correct number is six and not five as previously reported. Also, Deborah Casteel’s name will appear on the Republican primary ballot. She was omitted in an earlier version.