Rookie wins in DuPage County forest race

A political novice defeated the DuPage County Forest Preserve's elder statesman in the race to be the Republican nominee for the District 3 commissioner's post.

With all 124 precincts reporting, unofficial results show Linda Painter with 55 percent of the vote to Wally Brown's 45 percent.

Brown, of Downers Grove, spent 18 years on the county board before moving to the forest preserve when that body became a separate taxing body in 2006.

Painter, of Hinsdale, is a pediatric nurse who is seeking her first political office in this race. During the campaign she said she wants to make forest preserves more accessible to seniors, families and children.

District 3 serves all or portions of Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills, Darien, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Naperville, Westmont, Willowbrook and Woodridge.

Incumbent commissioners Marsha Murphy of District 1 and Carl Schultz of District 5 ran unopposed.

Painter will square off against Democrat Matt Mostowik of Darien in the November general election. Mostowik is the only Democrat seeking a forest preserve post.

Party leaders have until April 7 to add candidates to the November ballot, according to DuPage County Election Commission assistant executive director Doreen Nelson.