Cullerton says win means fresh start in Villa Park

Trustee Tom Cullerton unseated incumbent Village President Joyce Stupegia on Tuesday in a landslide victory he said signifies "a new generation, a new time here in Villa Park."

With all precincts reporting, Cullerton had 1,871 votes, according to unofficial tallies. Albert Bulthuis, also a village trustee, had 1,130 votes. Stupegia trailed in her bid to win a second term with just 473 votes.

The three-way race focused on revitalizing the village.

Cullerton, 39, said he was in "absolute shock" over the margin of his win, but believes voters responded to his efforts as a trustee to push new initiatives. His goal is the same as when "I came on the board four years ago - start moving Villa Park forward."

Newcomer Deborah M. Bullwinkel was the top vote-getter in a field of six candidates vying for three trustee seats.

Bullwinkel said residents told her during the campaign that they are "tired of the status quo, of things never coming to fruition.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to do everything I can to move this town forward," said Bullwinkel, 40, who is self-employed in public relations.

She also wants to work to restore residents' trust in village leadership, she said.

Bullwinkel had 2,245 votes, according to unofficial results. Also elected were newcomer Robert Taglia with 1,758 votes and incumbent trustee John Davis, with 1,710 votes.

Newcomer Greg Hassler had 1,335 votes, and three-term incumbent trustee Richard J. Illian lost his bid for re-election with 1,041 votes.

Brian Anderson ran for trustee as a write-in candidate, and the DuPage County Election Commission will not have his vote totals for several weeks. Anderson was removed from the ballot for failing to obtain the minimum number of required signatures after Illian challenged some of them. Anderson appealed to the DuPage County Circuit Court and lost.

Cullerton's goals include marketing Villa Park's proximity to major highways and O'Hare International Airport; bringing more development to North Avenue; repairing Villa Park's roads and overhauling the train station; and setting up a neighborhood watch program with a block "buddy" for seniors who live alone. As trustee, he supported the off-track betting facility now under construction as a way to generate more revenue.

Stupegia has had a long political career in Villa Park, including more than a decade as trustee before being elected village president. Bulthuis has been a trustee since 2007.