Hoffman Estates mayor gets credit for board incumbents’ win
The three incumbents in the Hoffman Estates village board race credited support from Mayor William McLeod as a reason for their victories.
McLeod walked the campaign trail with trustees Gary Pilafas, Anna Newell and Gary Stanton. The three coasted to easy wins, unofficial results on Tuesday night showed.
Stanton said it was the culmination of hard work and walking door-to-door. The feeling of victory was a welcome change for Stanton, who has run unsuccessfully for a judgeship.
“People keep telling me ‘You won, you won, don’t worry about it,’” said Stanton, who was appointed to the board in December following the resignation of Trustee Cary Collins. “It still hasn’t set in.”
With all 38 Cook County precincts reporting, Gary Pilafas leads with 1,539 votes or 21.1 percent of the vote, Anna Newell follows with 1,515 votes or 21 percent of the vote, and Gary Stanton earned 20.1 percent or 1,487 votes.
Next is Alison Hertz with 1,124 votes or 15.4 percent, Craig Bernacki with 1,052 votes or 14.4 percent, and Robert Weitzel with 577 votes or 7.9 percent.
Pilafas said the top issues in the election were the success of the village-owned Sears Centre, the village’s budget and street repairs. He said giving voters face time by attending neighborhood block parties and listening to concerns helped seal the victory.
“People are much more open on saying what they really think to you when you’re on their turf,” he said.
Newell said re-electing the incumbents shows voters are happy.
“I told them I would continue to do a good job for them,” she said.
Despite his loss, Craig Bernacki, the most outspoken of the challengers, remained upbeat.
“Abraham Lincoln lost eight elections and then he became the most popular president in the United States,” Bernacki said. “I’ll be back.”
The Hoffman Estates park board member blamed low-voter turnout, which traditionally favors incumbents, for contributing to his loss. Bernacki also said 44th District State Rep. Fred Crespo, a friend of McLeod and former Hoffman Estates trustee, campaigned on the incumbents’ behalf.
Weitzel congratulated the winners and McLeod. He stressed he’d like the village to reconsider the installation of red-light cameras, calling them a “cheesy” revenue maker that wasn’t about safety.
Weitzel also asked the village to concentrate more on filling vacant spaces with businesses.
“I hope I said nothing offensive,” he said. “I just want a better town, that’s all.”
Hertz could not be reached for comment.
Pilafas and Newell were first elected in 2007. Newell works for Schaumburg Township, while Pilafas works for Hitachi Data Systems in Itasca. Stanton is a retired attorney and former public defender.