Anthony Vega, the Democratic incumbent Lake County Clerk, is running for reelection in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Vega says on his campaign website that he is unopposed, which would make him the first County Clerk to earn another term since 2010 and the first Democratic County Clerk to be reelected since 1989.
Lake County voters, including those in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, will see Vega's name on the Nov. 3 ballot. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Residence: Round Lake Beach, according to his campaign website
- Education: Master's in public policy, Loyola University Chicago, 2016; bachelor's in political science and government, Bellarmine University, 2014; high school diploma, Curie Metropolitan High School
- Family background: Son of immigrant parents, according to his campaign website
Vega was sworn in as the 16th Lake County Clerk on Dec. 1, 2022, according to a Lake County government announcement. He is the first member of the Latino and LGBTQ+ community to be elected to a countywide office and serve as County Clerk in Lake County, the announcement said.
Vega said on his campaign website that he won his 2022 election by defeating the incumbent by 11 percentage points.
Experience and public service
Before taking office as clerk, Vega served as chief of staff at the Lake County Sheriff's Office from 2018 to 2022, according to BallotReady profile data. Both roles are county-level positions. He also worked as a political organizer at Sierra Club Illinois, according to BallotReady.
Vega says on his campaign website that he serves as a member of the Ranked Choice Voting Task Force, an appointed position.
He holds a master's in public policy from Loyola University Chicago, earned in 2016, and a bachelor's in political science and government from Bellarmine University, earned in 2014, according to BallotReady. He attended Curie Metropolitan High School.
On the issues
Anthony Vega emphasizes modernizing county services, expanding voter access and preserving public trust. His campaign highlights investments in election technology, including electronic pollbooks and ballot-on-demand systems, along with a vote-anywhere model designed to make voting more accessible.
Vega also points to increased election judge pay as an investment in the county’s election workforce. Beyond elections, he emphasizes accessible public services and responsible management of the land, vital, tax and business records overseen by the Lake County Clerk’s Office.
Endorsements
According to BallotReady profile data, Vega has received the following endorsement:
- IUOE Local 150
Candidate information is drawn from a producer-reviewed profile packet. Issue positions reflect the candidate's own responses where noted.
