Mayors challenged in Wheaton, Naperville, Oak Brook, Carol Stream and Wood Dale

Hundreds of candidates throughout DuPage County filed to run for elected office, as the official weeklong filing period for the April 5 election ended Monday.

Candidates will vie for mayoral seats, as well as municipal, school, park, library and fire district boards. And many races, such as contests for Naperville and Wood Dale mayor, will have longtime incumbents facing at least one challenger.

To learn what choices you'll face at the polls this spring, here is a rundown of who's running in key DuPage races.

Carol Stream

Don't ask Rick Gieser to jump into his battle to be the Carol Stream Village President slinging mud. Gieser said he expects a respectable campaign against incumbent Frank Saverino.

“I'm looking for a good, clean race and I think we are going to have it,” Gieser said.

The lifelong Carol Stream resident said he decided to join the race to lead the town because he just thought it was time and he said it was not an indictment on Saverino's first term as village president.

“I'm just excited about going out and chatting with the people of Carol Stream to find out what they would like to see,” Gieser said. “I have had my ear to the ground and have learned a lot as trustee.”

Gieser has served on the board eight years as a trustee. Saverino will finish up a first term that has included several notable situations. Twice he has had to handle flooding in the county and successfully pushed for a county borrowing plan that includes millions of dollars for Carol Stream flood mitigation projects.

He has also been a staunch supporter of controversial red-light cameras in Carol Stream.

Saverino said he has been proud of his work with the village and looks forward to finishing projects aimed at filling the industrial park on Gary Avenue. He said he also expects a tough battle with Gieser.

“I think he'll give me a run for my money,” he said. “But I think I've proved myself in my 14 years as an elected official.”

Oak Brook

Two candidates will compete for village president in Oak Brook this spring: incumbent John W. Craig and challenger Dr. Gopal Lalmalani.

Craig is a one-term incumbent. Lalmalani is a member of the village plan commission.

Lalmalani says the village suffers from a leadership gap that threatens to turn it into a “laughingstock” — a charge Craig vehemently denies.

Oak Brook has been in the media spotlight for a series of harsh comments at public meetings, as the village turned to employee layoffs to offset a sharp decline in sales tax revenues.

Craig, a trustee for eight years before becoming village president, said the layoffs were necessary to balance the budget.

Oak Brook does not have a local property tax and neither candidate supports increasing taxes.

Wood Dale

Longtime Wood Dale Mayor Kenneth Johnson will battle to keep his seat from being taken by Ward 1 Alderman Nunzio Pulice.

Johnson said early this fall he would move ahead with his campaign, despite narrowly avoiding a censure in September.

The city council was divided on whether to formally reprimand Johnson for borrowing nearly $10,000 in city funds to pay for his health insurance premiums for about three years. Johnson since has repaid all the money, and cited the recession and its effect on his law practice as the reason behind his actions.

“I have 35 years of service to the community and hopefully this won't be that big of a blemish,” he said in September.

But on April 5 he will face a challenge from Pulice, who led the charge to censure Johnson. Pulice also said then-City Manager F. Wallace Douthwaite also should face consequences. Douthwaite later was fired by the city council.

Naperville, Wheaton

The races in both Wheaton and Naperville shaped up last month during the primary filing period, and Naperville will have a three-way race for mayor, with voters choosing between incumbent Mayor George Pradel, Councilman Kenn Miller and Councilman Doug Krause.

The race for Wheaton mayor pits Councilman John Prendiville against incumbent Michael Gresk.

Both cities avoided a primary election in February because not enough candidates filed for office.

Glenbard Dist. 87

The ballot for the election in Glenbard High School District 87 will have some familiar names this spring with one possible exception.

Political newcomer Mary Ozog, one of the leading forces behind parental opposition to the district's recent move toward a standard curriculum across its four schools, will join three incumbents seeking re-election.

Board President Rose Malcolm filed for the election on Monday, the final day for candidates file. Incumbents Steve Sebby and Tom Trefilek, as well as Ozog, filed last week.

Ozog was part of a parent group to grill Superintendent Mike Meissen in January over a plan to eliminate an honors course in order to standardize curriculum at the district's four schools. Ozog vowed last week that she would not be a one-issue candidate.

The election will be for three 4-year terms. Ozog has a background in political science and urban planning.

Malcolm is seeking a fourth term as a trustee. Sebby and Trefilek are seeking their second terms in office.

District 200

A longtime school board member in Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 won't seek re-election.

Marie Slater, who has served on the school board since 1986, didn't file nominating petitions when filing ended Monday.

That means at least one newcomer will be elected to the fill one of the three seats on the school board when voters go to the polls in April.

Rosemary Swanson of Wheaton and fellow incumbent John Bomher of Wheaton joined six hopefuls in the crowded race.

The newcomers who filed paperwork are Harold Lonks of Winfield, Charlie Pfeister of Warrenville and Wheaton residents Ali Alisha, James Vroman, Jim Gambaiani and Michael Radencich.

The top three vote-getters in April will serve 4-year terms on the District 200 board. Because Lonks, Pfeister, Swanson and Vroman were the first to file, a lottery was held last week to decide ballot placement. Lonks won the first ballot position.

District 204

An already-contested school board race in Indian Prairie Unit District 204 got one more candidate on the last day of filing Monday.

Newcomer Tricia Tillotson secured the last spot on the April ballot when she filed her nominating petitions at the district's headquarters before the deadline.

Four candidates, only two of whom are incumbents, filed first thing last week at Indian Prairie.

President Curt Bradshaw and Vice President Alka Tyle are seeking their second full terms. A third incumbent, Mark Metzger, is not running.

Also in the race to fill three seats on the school board are challengers Mark Rising and Lori Price. This will be Price's first campaign, while Rising fell 105 votes short in the 2009 race.

District 204 encompasses portions of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield.

Ÿ Daily Herald staff writers Marco Santana and Robert Sanchez contributed to this report.

Filing: Longtime Dist. 200 school board member not running