Hanson clinches re-election as Antioch mayor, says he’ll watch the budget

Prudent spending and fiscal stability will be Antioch Mayor Larry Hanson’s priorities after winning handily in Tuesday’s election.

With all 13 precincts counted, Hanson trumped challenger Mary Gaborek by a vote of 1,166 to 873, unofficial results showed.

“I want to refocus on moving forward with our strategic plan and capital plan,” Hanson said. “I spent the first four years (as mayor) getting our house in order and our financials in order. We’re still working through the recession. We have to be careful and watch every dollar.”

Hanson, a 53-year-old clothing store manager, was a trustee for four years before being named mayor of Antioch in 2009. Gaborek is a 49-year-old mother of three.

The race was a feisty one, with Hanson fending off criticisms from Gaborek.

Gaborek wished Hanson well but said she ran to bring “meaningful change” and a new vision to Antioch. “I’m concerned about a lot of issues ... hopefully this will open his eyes up a little more,” she said.

Hanson said the electoral process “gave people a choice, and thank God my track record outweighed the competition. I ran my own campaign on my merits and didn’t worry about the opposition.”

Three spots were open for village board and incumbent trustees Scott Pierce and Ted Poulos clinched victories with 1,150 and 1,193 votes, respectively. Newcomers Jerry Johnson and Jay Jozwiak had a tighter race, Johnson won with 1,057 votes to Jozwiak’s 1,034.