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Saturday, November 2, 2024

April 4 Voter Cheat Sheet: Who are the Republicans and Democrats running in nine competitive West Cook school board elections?

Dillon herndon

Lyons Township 204 incumbent Democrat Kari Dillon (L) is being challenged by Republican David Hernon (R). | Lyons Township 204/Herndon for School Board

Lyons Township 204 incumbent Democrat Kari Dillon (L) is being challenged by Republican David Hernon (R). | Lyons Township 204/Herndon for School Board

There are 13  competitive school board races in West suburban Cook County, according to an analysis of candidate filings by West Cook News.

Of the 13 school boards, 11 currently have Democrat majorities, according to an analysis of elected official primary voting history.

All told-- 78 candidates are running for 48 open seats across the nine districts, including 46 incumbents.

That includes 53 Democrats and 19 Republicans.

Incumbents include Kari Dillon of Lyons Township 204, one of the Chicago area's most ardent defenders of mandating masks on students.

Dillon abruptly ended a school board meeting last year when mask opponents voiced their opinions during public comment. She said the comments could not be critical of school board members.

"Do not interrupt (me)! That is not helpful," Dillon said, when members of the crowd protested.

Of the 91 current school board slots in the thirteen competitive districts, 69 are held by Democrats, 18 by Republicans and four by an independent.

Election Day is Tues. April 4.

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Which 2023 races are competitive in the West Cook suburbs?

13 school board races are in the balance on April 4. 

Candidates
School BoardCurrent SplitSeats UpInc. RunningtotalDEMGOPOther
Lyons Township HSD 2047-0 Democrat327430
La Grange SD 1027-0 Democrat426510
Riverside-Brookfield HSD 2086-1 Democrat557610
River Forest SD 907-0 Democrat314310
Franklin Park SD 846-0-1 Republican334031
Mannheim SD 83*4-1-2 Democrat445212
Elmwood Park CUSD 4015-2 Republican446231
Westchester SD 92.54-2-1 Democrat425311
Oak Park & River Forest HSD 2007-0 Democrat304400
Morton HSD 201*4-3 Democrat437420
Berwyn South SD 1007-0 Democrat499810
Berwyn North SD 987-0 Democrat436510
Proviso Township 2097-0 Democrat388710
TOTAL

48467853184
*Includes two elections for four seats; one for a two-year seat and one for three four-year seats.

Lyons Township HSD 204

Current Split7-0DEMOCRAT

Seats up3

Candidates running7

CandidatePartyHometownAge
Jill Beda Daniels (I)DLa Grange49
Timothy J. VlcekRLa Grange52
David R. HerndonILa Grange55
Timothy AlboresDLa Grange Park48
Justin M. ClarkDLa Grange44
Kari Dillon (I)DIndian Head Park50
Frank M. EvansRLa Grange 53

Existing Board Members

Michael A. ThomasDLa Grange Park56
Dawn M. AubertDLa Grange Park56
Jill A. GrechDLa Grange47
Julie M. SwinehartDLa Grange47

Members leaving board

Alison D. KellyDLa Grange56

La Grange SD 102

Current Split7-0DEMOCRAT

Seats up4

Candidates running6

CandidatePartyHometownAge
Tiziana Lambert (I)DLa Grange50
Catherine MurphyDLa Grange47
Bessie Boyd (I)DLa Grange68
Molly C. KnottDBrookfield42
Kathryn Seipel McQuistonDLa Grange39
Therese N O'SullivanRLa Grange38

Existing Board Members

Michael G. MelendezDBrookfield44
Edward CampbellDLa Grange47
Jessica MandraDLa Grange Park48

Members leaving board

Leah M. WerabDLa Grange44
Scott D. WuggazerDLa Grange Park53

Riverside-Brookfield HSD 208

Current Split6-1DEMOCRAT

Seats up5

Candidates running7

Candidate- 4 yr.PartyHometownAge
Nicholas J. NovakDNorth Riverside43
Deanna L. Zalas (I)DRiverside50
William T. Durkin (I)DRiverside56
Kenyon D. DunerDBrookfield48
Laura Hruska (I)RBrookfield60

Candidate- 2 yr.PartyHometownAge
Michael J. Welch (I)DRiverside62
Carolyn J. Lach (I)DNorth Riverside54

Existing Board Members

Ryan VenHorstDRiverside43
Lorena GascaDNorth Riverside49

River Forest SD 90

Current Split7-0DEMOCRAT

Seats up3

Candidates running4

CandidatePartyHometownAge
Calvin R. Davis (I)DRiver Forest54
Joseph S. Cortese IIIRRiver Forest43
Eric J. IsenbergDRiver Forest55
Kristine K. MackeyDRiver Forest66

Existing Board Members

Katie AvalosDRiver Forest45
Sarah EckmannDRiver Forest41
Nicole C. Perkins-ThompsonDRiver Forest47
Stacey Wyche-WilliamsDRiver Forest55

Members leaving board

Barbra A. HickeyDRiver Forest66
Richard P. MooreDRiver Forest53

Franklin Park SD 84

Current Split6-0-1REPUBLICAN

Seats up3

Candidates running4

CandidatePartyHometownAge
Syed WaseyRFranklin Park46
Jennifer N. Costa (I)NVFranklin Park43
Stephen C. Dawson (I)RFranklin Park63
Daniel LoCascio (I)RRiver Grove65

Existing Board Members

Antionette CroninRFranklin Park67
Michael E. SpecialRFranklin Park72
Lori M. ThomasRFranklin Park66
James J. Wade, IVRFranklin Park55

Mannheim SD 83

Current Split4-1-2DEMOCRAT

Seats up4

Candidates running5

CandidatePartyHometownAge
Marianne C. Anderson (I)RMelrose Park69
Lyvette Medina-Jones (I)DNorthlake46
Maribel Ayala (I)NVMelrose Park42
Magdalena Kalinowska (I)NVNorthlake43
Pascuala HerreraDFranklin Park57

Existing Board Members

Humberto ChaidezDFranklin Park61
Tammy CampeottoDMelrose Park53

Members leaving board

Sandra J. MichDFranklin Park50

Elmwood Park CUSD 401

Current Split5-2REPUBLICAN

Seats up4

Candidates running6

CandidatePartyHometownAge
Jason ShipinskiRElmwood Park50
Peter A Volpe (I)RElmwood Park61
Mary Bruscato (I)DElmwood Park67
Timothy P Loughnane (I)RElmwood Park43
Michelle J SilverNVElmwood Park53
Jennifer Ranallo (I)DElmwood Park41

Existing Board Members

Frank J. ParisiRElmwood Park61
Susan S. CapraroRElmwood Park71
Jonathan M. RiveraRElmwood Park35

Westchester SD 92.5

Current Split4-2-1DEMOCRAT

Seats up4

Candidates running5

CandidatePartyHometownAge
Rosemarie Ortiz (I)RWestchester42
Stephanie L. Boyd (I)DWestchester53
Cynthia PeranichDWestchester43
Jerrid M NealNVWestchester43
TiShaunda McPhersonDWestchester43

Existing Board Members

Mary R. Douglas-Pieniazek RWestchester46
Dana WesolowskiDWestchester47
Gina C. SanchezDWestchester45

Members leaving board

Bryan VoegtleNVWestchester45
Molly QuirozDWestchester44

Oak Park & River Forest HSD 200

Current Split7-0DEMOCRAT

Seats up3

Candidates running4

CandidatePartyHometownAge
Timothy D. BrandhorstDRiver Forest56
Jonathan E. LivingstonDOak Park47
Graham Y BrisbenDOak Park55
Brian D. SoudersDOak Park51

Existing Board Members

Fred ArkinDOak Park47
Tom CofskyDOak Park62
Kebreab HenryDOak Park41
Mary Anne MohanrajDOak Park51

Members leaving board

Gina G. HarrisDOak Park53
Ralph MartireDRiver Forest63
Sara Dixon SpivyDOak Park48

Morton HSD 201

Current Split4-3DEMOCRAT

Seats up4

Candidates running7

Candidate- 4 yr.PartyHometownAge
Jeffry Pesek (I)RCicero50
Fernando GodinezDCicero51
Mark D. Kraft (I)DBerwyn61
Johnny Joe ReyesRBerwyn53
Suzanne Lee DonnellyDBerwyn49

Candidate- 2 yr.PartyHometownAge
Maria A. Gallegos (I)DCicero68
Dolores S SanchezDCicero27

Existing Board Members

Margaret KellyRBerwyn78
Sandra TomschinRCicero60
Jessica Jaramillo-FloresDCicero48

Members leaving board

Lido Manetti, Jr.DCicero60

Berwyn South SD 100

Current Split7-0DEMOCRAT

Seats up4

Candidates running9

Candidate- 4 yr.PartyHometownAge
Amanda F. DrenthDBerwyn46
Jonathan P. PallesDBerwyn45
Wendy GonzalesDBerwyn36
Janel A. KingDBerwyn40
Summer M ButlerDBerwyn46
Amber Dawn (I)DBerwyn47
Nicole White-LeGrandDBerwyn34
Andrea M. Dressel (I)DBerwyn41
Leo VargasRBerwyn52

Candidate- 2 yr.PartyHometownAge
Michael A TownerDBerwyn62
Elizabeth O. Jimenez (I)DBerwyn44

Existing Board Members

Claudine Randolph AndrewsDBerwyn45
Coryn SteinfeldDBerwyn41
Joel GonzalezDBerwyn45

Members leaving board

Sarah LopezDBerwyn40

Berwyn North SD 98

Current Split7-0DEMOCRAT

Seats up4

Candidates running9

CandidatePartyHometownAge
Alejandra ReyesDBerwyn38
JoAnn Kulis-Kearns Valeriano (I)DBerwyn69
Fritz Paul-Emile (I)DBerwyn53
Melissa Marie MouritsenDBerwyn45
Brian Swade (I)RBerwyn42
Jamie J. NajeraDBerwyn33

Existing Board Members

Jake BrownDBerwyn27
Adam MounceNVBerwyn46
Clara I. BrunoDBerwyn36
Elizabeth E. CuevasDBerwyn63

Proviso HSD 209

Current Split7-0DEMOCRAT

Seats up3

Candidates running8

CandidatePartyHometownAge
Theresa L. Kelly (I)DMaywood80
Claudia Medina (I)DForest Park56
David OcampoRWestchester38
Jennifer Wenzel BarbahenDForest Park41
Sandra Lee HixsonDWestchester72
Jon KubrichtDForest Park46
Jayda T. JamesDHillside46
Maribel AguirreDHillside49

Existing Board Members

Arbdella PattersonDMaywood61
Samuel ValtierrezDMelrose Park51
Rodney A. AlexanderDBellwood55
Amanda J. GrantDWestchester 45

Members leaving board

Nathan WagnerDForest Park58

Source: Cook County Clerk; Illinois State Board of Elections

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