Another election season starts with Lake County mayors and more

Lake County voters who were unwinding from federal and state-level elections last month need to gear up for another political season officially under way with mayors and others reserving spots on the April ballot.

Monday was the first opportunity for nominating petitions to be filed for elected positions at villages, schools, park districts, libraries and townships. The filing deadline is the close of business Monday, Dec. 19.

Several mayors want to keep their jobs for another four years. That list includes one of the county's longest-serving leaders.

Gurnee's Kristina Kovarik filed nominating petitions in her attempt to win a fourth, four-year term as mayor. She was a village trustee when she became mayor by defeating former political ally Donald Rudny in 2005.

It's unknown whether Kovarik will have a challenger. She said she has unfinished business, such as working to revitalize East Grand Avenue based on ideas from a plan formed by a volunteer panel of development experts last summer.

"I am still honored (to be mayor) and I'm still having fun," Kovarik said.

Libertyville, Mundelein and Antioch will be among the villages with contested mayoral races.

Mundelein Mayor Steve Lentz must fend off a challenger from his village board if he wants to return for a second, four-year term.

Trustee Holly Kim, elected to the village board in 2013, made her bid for the mayor's chair official by filing Monday. She's running with a slate of candidates calling themselves A Mundelein United.

Kim, who announced her candidacy for mayor in July, said she believes she has the experience, passion and history of involvement to lead the village.

"Mundelein is alive with new energy, new people, new businesses, and the arts," she said. "I have always believed the village of Mundelein is where all of us, working together, can make a difference and be part of a caring community capable of great things."

Running with Kim are trustee candidates Jeanne Cygnus, Robin Meier and Karthik Chandramouli, and clerk hopeful Arnold Krinski.

Lentz has said he will seek a second term but hadn't filed Monday. He said he remains committed to redeveloping the downtown district, growing the local economy and improving local roads and infrastructure.

"Residents see these priorities currently playing out through tangible changes, and they want more," said Lentz, who plans to run as an independent. "In my second term, I will continue to focus on these areas and bring even more improvements to our village."

Libertyville voters will see a rematch of mayoral candidates from eight years ago.

At that time, attorney Terry Weppler upended business owner Jeff Harger for the village's top elected post. Weppler ran unopposed four years ago.

Harger was at village hall when it opened at 8 a.m. Weppler was out of town but Trustee Rich Moras, who also is seeking re-election, filed on his behalf.

"There's a lot of concern in the community and based on that, I decided to run," Harger said. He cited a plan under review for houses west of Butterfield Road as one issue he has heard about from residents.

Weppler, since retired, said he wanted to see through several projects, including the re-use by new businesses of the former Motorola facility on Route 45 and rehab of the downtown commuter train station.

"I've enjoyed serving the village of Libertyville and I would like to continue to provide that service," he said.

Antioch Mayor Larry Hanson and challenger Jay Jozwiak, a village trustee, each filed their paperwork.

In Lake Zurich, Mayor Thomas Poynton's wife, Janet, was at village hall well before the 8 a.m. opening to submit petitions for her husband who was out of town. Poynton is running with a slate of candidates called Lake Zurich Proud.

Poynton, who as of Monday was unopposed, said the slate's goals include increasing the village's economic vitality with an emphasis on revitalizing downtown.

"Our only desire is to serve the residents of Lake Zurich to the best of our abilities in the most open, accountable and fiscally responsible way possible," he said. "And that is what I have tried to do as mayor."

Joining Poynton on the slate are trustee hopefuls Jim Beaudoin, Greg Weider and Mary Beth Euker and clerk candidate Kathleen Johnson.

Elsewhere, Grayslake's Rhett Taylor, Kildeer's Nandia Black, Green Oaks' Bernard Wysocki, Round Lake Beach's Rich Hill and Port Barrington's Shannon Yeaton are among the other incumbent mayors who filed to be on the April 4 ballot.

In Wauconda, longtime Trustee Lincoln Knight filed papers to run for mayor. First-term incumbent Frank Bart has said he won't seek a second term.

•Daily Herald staff writers Russell Lissau, Lee Filas and Mick Zawislak contributed to this report.