Now that election's over, can they all get along?

When former Lake Barrington Village President Dorothy "Connie" Schofield decided to re-enter local politics and run for village trustee, she said her main motivation was helping Trustee Jean Vonder Haar unseat Village President Kevin Richardson.

Tuesday, Schofield won but Vonder Haar lost, leaving Schofield to serve alongside the man she sought to oust.

From Lake Barrington to Buffalo Grove to Bartlett, political foes in last Tuesday's local election must now try to work together after campaigns that in some cases were bitter, bruising and negative.

At least publicly, many candidates say they're ready to set aside their differences.

"I presume (Schofield will) come with goodwill and in good faith, and I'll do the same," said Richardson, who won 54 percent of the vote to beat Vonder Haar.

But actually doing so may not be as easy, as candidates will now have to put away their egos and hurt feelings in the public's best interest. Schofield pledged to serve out her term without vindictiveness.

"I am in this for the village and the residents," she said. "I am a lady, and I have been a pleasant individual all of my life. I don't live on negativity."

Vonder Haar was at the end of her trustee term, so she's now off the board entirely. But in several suburbs - including in Streamwood, Hanover Park and Bartlett - the losing village president candidate remains on the village board as a trustee.

There's really no reason mature adults can't find ways to work together, said Kent Redfield, interim director at the Institute of Legislative Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Redfield said party politics can sometimes be easier to overcome than personal differences. When it comes to the latter, it can be tempting for fellow board members to dismiss a defeated candidates' ideas out of their own bitterness or because they perceive the defeated candidate to be motivated by bitterness.

A mayor might have only one vote on the board - or, in some cases, only vote to break ties - but can still create an atmosphere where a rival's ideas are ignored and seek to isolate or embarrass the rival.

"That's bad politics and bad policy," Redfield said.

Political foes can become allies, as evidenced by Barack Obama nominating former rival Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state.

"Again, you have to get around personality, and obviously, it hurts to lose, and that's hard on the ego," Redfield said.

In Hoffman Estates, Trustees Karen Mills and Raymond Kincaid, former rivals of Mayor William McLeod, ran this spring on an uncontested slate with McLeod. Mills too said the key to working through personality issues is to use common sense and be mature.

"It's not always easy. There will be times where you're going to disagree," she said.

Controversial campaign fliers and automated phone calls are typical campaign tactics, both used in the contentious Buffalo Grove trustee race. Lisa Stone won her bid Tuesday, and is eager to put the campaigning behind her.

"I am extending my hand so we can come together for the betterment of Buffalo Grove," she said.

In Streamwood, Trustee Jason Speer said he'll continue to push ideas from his campaign platform, even after his bid to unseat Village President Billie Roth failed. Roth and Speer showed no affection for each other during a heated campaign.

Roth, who won her sixth term last week, has seen personality clashes over the years. Trustee James Cecille, who many years ago ran against Roth for village president, has remained on the board since.

"Everyone's focus must be on doing the right thing for the residents that we serve," Roth said. "I truly believe that most elected officials understand that and can move on to do the job that we were elected to do."

In Hanover Park, Village President Rodney Craig's Progress Party slate swept the election, giving him a majority on a board previously known for bickering. Trustee Lori Kaiser, who opposed Craig and whose term ends in 2011, wished him luck but vowed to be a watchdog.

"I'm going to be watching every dollar," Kaiser said. "There's no such thing as a free lunch, free police officers or free anything else."

Bartlett Village President-elect Michael Kelly lists "Team of Rivals," a historian's account of how President Lincoln worked with political adversaries, as his favorite book. The Bartlett election wasn't as animated as in Hanover Park or Streamwood, but Kelly will now have to work with Trustee Sherry Bormann, whom he defeated Tuesday. He's well aware that he'll have to be open to compromise.

"It's absolutely crucial," he said, "that we work together."

• Daily Herald staff writers Eric Peterson and Steve Zalusky contributed to this report.