DuPage voters will have many choices in April
DuPage County voters should have plenty to choose from April 7.
Filing for hundreds of seats on municipal, school, park and library boards - along with 72 posts in nine townships - began Monday in some towns and will start today in others. The filing period ends Jan. 26.
The candidates will join the bounty of would-be politicians already vying for seats on city councils in Aurora, Naperville and Wheaton, where filing took place in December.
Countywide, there will be races for mayors and village presidents in more than a dozen towns. Most mayors expect a duel and some anticipate multiple challenges.
Two challengers already have announced plans to try to unseat first-term Winfield Village President Rudy Czech. Trustee Deborah Birutis and Community High School District 94 school board President Tony Reyes filed Monday.
"It's the economy that's driving this," Czech said. "They think they can do better and encourage developers to come to town."
Lombard Village President William Mueller said he expects a challenge in April. He's had one every other time he's run, and this is his fifth race. Trustee Richard Soderstrom has said he plans to throw his hat in the ring.
Most communities don't have the rosy outlook that seemed to permeate the political landscape over the past few decades. Towns face dwindling tax revenues, lower property values and possible layoffs at city hall. It's not a happy time to be in charge, but that doesn't appear to be slowing anyone down.
"That's the strongest thing that probably turned the corner for me in deciding to run again," Mueller said. "What we need now is stability in our government."
Czech believes residents are far more politically savvy than ever before after enduring what amounted to a two-year race for the White House.
"It's happening here in Winfield," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if that's what's going on in other places."
While most municipal races are apolitical, township posts will feature battles between Democrats and Republicans. Each of the nine townships has four trustee seats along with posts for supervisor, clerk, assessor and highway commissioner up for grabs.
Republicans crow they're the only party to slate candidates for all 72 jobs.
"If they (Democrats) have such a vigorous organization and are turning the county blue, then why aren't there 72 township candidates," said Addison Township GOP Chairman Pat Durante. "Listen, German shepherds could've had good luck with Obama on the ticket like they did in November, but they're not running with Obama on the ticket this time; they've got (indicted Gov. Rod) Blagojevich."
But county Democrats promise the kind of fight that saw them take three seats on the previously all-Republican county board two months ago.
"Our township organizations have been way more active they have been in the past following the success we had in November," party Chairman Bob Peickert said. "We fully expect them to challenge our paperwork as they have in the past because they don't want a fair election, they're looking for technicalities to get us off the ballot."