Olson leaving DuPage board; Democratic primary in one district
The last day of filing for the spring primary brought several surprises Monday, including the announced departure of a longtime DuPage County Board member and news that there will be a rare contested Democratic race.
A week after submitting her nominating petitions to seek re-election, county board member Debra Olson said she’s going to step down from the board Dec. 14 to become executive director of the DuPage Homeownership Center.
“It’s a tough decision because I love being on the county board,” said Olson, who has served on the board since 2002. “I love this work.”
But after giving it serious thought, Olson said she decided to accept the full-time position at the nonprofit organization, which provides a range of counseling services to promote responsible homeownership. The Wheaton resident has been volunteering since April as the center’s unpaid interim executive director.
“My passion has gone more and more in this direction,” Olson said of helping first-time homebuyers and homeowners in crisis. “It’s the right thing for my family, and it’s the right thing for this time of my life.”
Word of Olson vacating her District 4 seat resulted in two Republican challengers entering the primary. Christopher Edwards of Glen Ellyn and Amy Grant of Wheaton will vie for three district seats on the board along with incumbents JR McBride and Grant Eckhoff.
In the meantime, board Chairman Dan Cronin will have to appoint someone to complete Olson’s term, which ends Nov. 30, 2012.
The other surprise Monday was that there will be a Democratic primary on March 20 to determine who will run in the fall for county board District 6.
Incumbent Dirk Enger — one of three Democrats on the county board — will be joined in the primary race by Terrell Barnes of Roselle and Bartlett residents Dave Barry and Lauren Nowak.
The Republican contenders for District 6 will be incumbent board members Jim Zay and Robert Larsen, plus David J. Sabathne of West Chicago, Kevin Wiley of West Chicago and Tom Sutton of Wayne.
The decision by District 2 incumbents Jeff Redick and Pat O’Shea not to seek re-election has nine Republican candidates competing in the county’s most crowded primary race. The GOP challengers are Mike Loftus of Lisle; Lombard Trustee Zachary Wilson; Rafael Rivadeneira of Elmhurst; Sean Noonan of Elmhurst; Elmhurst Mayor Pete DiCianni; Jim Long of Downers Grove; Charles Mueller of Elmhurst; and Oak Brook Trustee Elaine Zannis. Brien Sheahan of Elmhurst is the only incumbent in the race.
In District 3, incumbents Brian Krajewski, John Curran and Michael McMahon will be in a seven-person GOP primary race that includes Woodridge Trustee Greg Abbott, retired DuPage Judge Ken Moy of Hinsdale, Joe Wozniak of Naperville and Gary Grasso of Burr Ridge.
The GOP primary race for District 5 will have board members James Healy and John Zediker and Lisle Trustee Ed Young, former Naperville Councilman Richard “Dick” Furstenau, Naperville resident Patty Gustin and Aurora residents Paul Santucci and Tonia Khouri.
It doesn’t get any easier for two incumbent Republicans on the forest preserve board.
District 4 incumbent Michael Formento of Glen Ellyn faces a primary challenge from Tim Whelan of Wheaton. And three Republicans have decided to challenge District 5 incumbent Carl Schultz. The Aurora resident will face Thomas Althoff of Lisle and Naperville residents Mary Lou Wehrli and Charles Schneider.
In forest preserve District 6, four Republicans are hoping to claim the seat being vacated by Commissioner Roger Kotecki. They are Kory Atkinson of Roselle; Pete Connolly of Wayne; Al Murphy of West Chicago; and Art Pierscionek of Bartlett.
Who’s running for office in DuPage County
DuPage County States Attorney
Republican: *Robert Berlin
Democrat: None
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Republican: *Chris Kachiroubas
Democrat: Ralph Scalise
DuPage County Auditor
Republican: *Bob Grogan
Democrat: None
DuPage County Coroner
Republican: Richard Jorgensen
Democrat: None
DuPage County Recorder
Republican: *Fred Bucholz
Democrat: None
DuPage County Board
District 1 (Pick 3)
Republican: *Donald Puchalski, Salvatore Sam Tornatore and *Paul Fichtner
Democrat: Thomas Michael Castillo, Maria DeAngelis-Vesey and *Rita Gonzalez
District 2 (Pick 3)
Republican: Sean T. Noonan, *Brien Sheahan, Peter Pete DiCianni, Rafael Rivadeneira, Zachary Wilson, Mike Loftus, Jim Long, Elaine Zannis and Charles Mueller
Democrat: Elizabeth Chaplin
District 3 (Pick 3)
Republican: *Brian Krajewski, *John Curran, *Michael McMahon, Ken Moy, Greg Abbott, Gary Grasso and Joe Wozniak
Democrat: Sharon E. Bryant
District 4 (Pick 3)
Republican: *Jerry JR McBride, *Grant Eckhoff, Amy Grant and Christopher Edwards
Democrat: Charles Ditchman, Dan Bailey
District 5 (Pick 3)
Republican: Paul Santucci, Patricia Patty Gustin, Richard Dick Furstenau, Ed Young, Tonia Khouri, *John Zediker and *James Healy
Democrat: Tony Michelassi
District 6 (Pick 3)
Republican: Tom Sutton, *Robert Larsen, Kevin R. Wiley, *Jim Zay and David Sabathne
Democrat: *Dirk Enger, Terrell Barnes, Dave Barry and Lauren Nowak
DuPage County Forest Preserve
District 1 (Pick 1)
Republican: Marsha Murphy
Democrat: Michael Braun
District 2 (Pick 1)
Republican: *Joe Cantore
Democrat: None
District 3 (Pick 1)
Republican: *Linda Painter
Democrat: Steve Leopoldo
District 4 (Pick 1)
Republican: *Michael Mike Formento and Tim Whelan
Democrat: Robert Flesvig
District 5 (Pick 1)
Republican: Charles Schneider, Mary Lou Wehrli, *Carl Schultz and Thomas Althoff
Democrat: Dennis Clark
District 6 (Pick 1)
Republican: Al Murphy, Kory Atkinson, Arthur Pierscionek and Pete Connolly
Democrat: Shannon Burns
* denotes incumbent
State legislature
41st House
Republicans: Darlene Senger of Naperville
42nd House
Democrats: William Adams of Wheaton
Republicans: Chris Hage of Wheaton, Jeanne Ives of Wheaton, Laura Pollastrini of Carol Stream, Dave Carlin of Naperville
45th House
Democrats: JoAnn Franzen of Roselle
Republicans: Dennis Reboletti of Elmhurst
46th House
Democrats: Deborah Conroy of Elmhurst
Republicans: John Humes of Addison, Daniel Kordik of Villa Park
47th House
Republicans: Patti Bellock of Hinsdale
48th House
Republicans: Sandra Pihos of Glen Ellyn
49th House
Republicans: Mike Fortner of West Chicago
77th House
Democrats: Kathleen Willis of Addison
Republicans: Angelo Skip Saviano of Elmwood Park
81st House
Republicans: Deborah Boyle of Downers Grove, Ron Sandack of Downers Grove
84th House
Democrats: Alex Arroyo or Aurora, Stephanie Kifowit of Aurora, Ken Maurice of Aurora, Carole Cheney of Aurora
Republicans: Patricia Fee of Naperville
21st Senate
Republicans: Michael Connelly of Lisle
23rd Senate
Republicans: Carole Pankau of Itasca, Randy Ramey of Carol Stream
Democrats: Greg Brownfield of Bartlett, Thomas Cullerton of Villa Park, Kevin Allen of Addison
24th Senate
Democrats: A. Ghani of Oak Brook
Republicans: Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, Chris Nybo of Elmhurst
25th Senate
Democrats: Corinne Pierog of St. Charles, Steven Hunter of Geneva
Republicans: Dave Richmond of Batavia, Richard Slocum of Sugar Grove, Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove
39th Senate
Democrats: Don Harmon of Oak Park
41st Senate
Republicans: Christine Radogno of Lemont, Duane Bradley of Lemont
42nd Senate
Democrats: Linda Holmes of Aurora
Republicans: Peter Hurtado of Plainfield