The DuPage County races worth watching Tuesday
With all the attention on the presidential campaign, it's easy to overlook races down the ticket that will determine how DuPage County residents are represented at the state and county levels.
Here's a look at some of the hottest races and referendum questions DuPage voters will be deciding Tuesday.
81st House District
Voters in the state's 81st House District will choose between Republican incumbent David Olsen and Democratic challenger Greg Hose.
Olsen, who serves as the vice chairman of the College of DuPage board, was appointed July 30 to fill the seat when former state Rep. Ron Sandack resigned. Olsen stepped down as a Downers Grove village commissioner so he could finish the remainder of Sandack's term.
To be elected to the state seat, Olsen must defeat Hose, an attorney who has served as a Downers Grove village commissioner since 2013.
Olsen, 28, says he wants to bring his experience building consensus and standing up for what's right to the state level.
Hose, 35, says he wants to help tackle the state's financial problems while keeping in mind the needs of suburban workers and families.
The 81st District covers all or parts of Downers Grove, Lisle, Naperville, Bolingbrook, Darien, Westmont and Woodridge.
46th House
Democratic incumbent Deb Conroy is trying to fend off a challenge from Republican Heidi Holan for the second time in the race for the seat in the state's 46th House District.
A former member of the Elmhurst Unit District 205 school board, Conroy of Villa Park has been a full-time state legislator since 2013.
Holan, a home educator from Glen Ellyn, is seeking her first elected office. She lost a close race to Conroy in 2014.
During the campaign, Holan said, "Springfield has no standing to ask taxpayers for more revenue at this time." She said she would oppose all new taxes, including a graduated income tax.
Conroy doesn't want to increase taxes on middle-class families.
She supports a proposed "millionaires tax" to raise money for education. She also says corporate tax loopholes should be closed.
The 46th House District covers all or parts of Addison, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Lombard, Oakbrook Terrace and Villa Park.
DuPage County District 2
Democratic incumbent Elizabeth "Liz" Chaplin is hoping to retain her District 2 seat on the DuPage County Board. Elmhurst Republican Richard Blass is trying to unseat Chaplin for the 2-year term.
Both candidates say they would act independently on the GOP-dominated county board.
Chaplin, of Downers Grove, says she's been an independent voice since she was first elected in 2012. Blass, who is an attorney, says he has own independent ideas.
District 2 includes all or parts of Addison, Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Lisle, Lombard, Naperville, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Villa Park, Westmont and Woodridge.
Referendums
Several government bodies in DuPage are pursuing property tax increases on Tuesday, including the Bloomingdale Park District and Helen M. Plum Memorial Public Library in Lombard.
Bloomingdale Park District is seeking permission to borrow $9.9 million to repair and improve the Springfield Park ball fields and wetlands, Oasis Water Park and the Johnston Recreation Center.
If approved, the park district's share of the property tax bill would increase by roughly $66 a year for the owner of a home worth $246,500, the median value of a Bloomingdale house. The money the park district would borrow would be repaid over 20 years.
The Helen Plum library is seeking voter approval to borrow $22.3 million to replace its existing building at 110 W. Maple St. in Lombard. The loan would be repaid over a 20-year period.
If approved, homeowners can expect an increase of about $72 per year, or about $6 per month, on their property taxes for every $100,000 of their home's fair market value.