Eckhoff, Custer, Wiley take early leads DuPage board races
Incumbent Grant Eckhoff has an early lead in his bid to become the Republican Party's nominee for a District 4 seat on the DuPage County Board.
With 26 of 134 precincts reporting, unofficial results show Eckhoff with 2,483 votes. Paula McGowen of Glen Ellyn and fellow challenger Ronald Almiron of Wheaton have 1,337 votes and 402 votes, respectively.
During the campaign, Eckhoff highlighted his efforts to pursue consolidation. The 54-year-old attorney from Wheaton said he and others are exploring proposals to consolidate fire districts and fire departments. The goal is to deliver a high level of fire protection and emergency medical services and save taxpayers money, he said.
Almiron, 47-year-old attorney, said he would bring "innovative ideas" and look to enhance the quality of county services while being cost effective.
McGowen, 59, said officials should consider the possibility of combining DuPage County clerk's office and the DuPage Election Commission.
Whoever gets the Republican nomination will advance to the general election to face the Democratic nominee, which will be either M. Moon Khan of Lombard or Jeremy Custer of Glendale Heights.
In the race to decide who the Democratic nominee will be in District 4, Custer has the early edge.
With 26 of 134 precincts reporting, unofficial results show Custer with 502 votes and Khan with 339 votes.
Custer, who works for state Sen. Tom Cullerton, has said he wants become a county board member because he has several ideas for reform he would like to pursue.
The 25-year-old Glendale Heights resident added he would bring a fresh perspective to the 18-member board, which only has three Democrats.
Khan, who was a Republican until he switched parties last year, is a former York Township trustee. The 58-year-old information technology specialist said he would work to centralize county services and merge county offices.
The candidate who is victorious in November will get a 4-year term representing District 4, which includes all or parts of Addison, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Lisle, Lombard, Wheaton and Winfield.
In District 6, there's a three-way race to decide which Republican will face an incumbent county board member in November.
The candidates vying for the GOP nomination are Kevin Wiley of West Chicago, Erica Lynne Sutton of Wayne and Valerie Ann Bruggeman of West Chicago.
With 30 of 110 precincts reporting, unofficial results show Wiley with 1,938 votes, Bruggeman with 1,313 votes and Sutton with 656 votes.
During the campaign, Bruggeman, 50, said the district needs a representative who will bring "a common-sense approach" to issues. In addition to being a fiscal conservative, Bruggeman said she would try to lower taxes and work to enhance programs for seniors.
Wiley, who is a 53-year-old West Chicago resident, said he would like to see DuPage become "more inviting" for businesses. In addition, he said the county should work with other government entities to deliver services in a more efficient and cost-effective way.
The winner of the primary will face incumbent county board member Lauren "Laurie" Nowak of Bartlett. Nowak was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
District 6 includes all or parts of Aurora, Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Glendale Heights, Hanover Park, Naperville, Roselle, St. Charles, Warrenville, Wayne, West Chicago, Wheaton and Winfield.