Where DuPage primary races are shaping up
There will be only a handful of hotly contested spring primary races in DuPage and Will counties, but most candidates will have clear sailing to next November's general election.
The last day of filing for the March 15 primary ended Monday with a rush of candidates submitting nominating petitions for spots on the spring ballot.
Here's a quick look at where primary races are taking shape:
County board
There will be Republican primaries in just two of the six DuPage County Board districts.
In District 2, four GOP candidates will square off for the opportunity to face Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Chaplin in the general election.
Richard Blass of Elmhurst, Elaine Zannis of Oak Brook, Zachary Wilson of Lombard and Anna Manzo of Oak Brook all are making a bid for the 2-year term.
Blass, who retired in 2012 as the deputy police chief of Bellwood, is an attorney. Zannis is a former Oak Brook trustee, and Wilson is a former Lombard trustee.
Chaplin, meanwhile, will be unchallenged in the Democratic primary.
District 2 includes all or portions of Addison, Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Lisle, Lombard, Naperville, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Villa Park, Westmont and Woodridge.
In District 4, three GOP candidates have emerged in the race to fill the seat held by Republican Karyn Romano of Glen Ellyn.
Romano, who was appointed to the position, decided not to run for the 4-year seat. Instead, Glen Ellyn Trustee Timothy Elliott, attorney Michelle Moore and quality engineer John Allen are vying for the GOP nomination.
Allen, a 23-year-old Wheaton resident, entered the race on the last day of filing.
"I want to get involved," Allen said. "It's time to start giving back."
The winner of the GOP primary is expected to face Democrat Khizar Jafri of Wheaton.
District 4 includes all or parts of Addison, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Lisle, Lombard, Wheaton and Winfield.
Forest preserve
There will be only one contested primary race for a seat on the DuPage Forest Preserve Commission.
That will come in District 5 where Republican challenger Carl Schultz of Aurora and incumbent Mary Lou Wehrli of Naperville will have a rematch of their 2012 primary contest that saw Wehrli unseat Schultz, then a 10-year veteran of the commission.
District 5 includes all or parts of Aurora, Lisle, Naperville and Warrenville.
Schultz said he wants the seat back because he's unhappy with the way Wehrli has represented the district. However, Wehrli says it's an exciting time for the forest preserve district and she wants to finish the work she started.
State legislature
There aren't many contested primary races for legislative seats from DuPage.
State Rep. Kathleen Willis, an Addison Democrat, is trying for her second term. Republicans Anthony Airdo of Melrose Park and Lisa Wesa of Addison will face off in March for their party's nod to oppose her next November.
Will County
Races for six countywide seats in Will County will generate only one primary: for the circuit clerk's office held by Democrat Pamela J. McGuire, who did not file for re-election. Four candidates filed petitions to seek her seat, three of them Democrats.
The primary will include Democrats Andrea Lynn Chasteen of Frankfort, Robert "Bob" Enright of New Lenox and Barbara Guerrero of Joliet.
The winner will face Republican Marlene M. Carlson of New Lenox in the November general election.
DuPage CountyState's Attorney
(Republican) 4-year term
Robert Berlin
Auditor
(Republican) 4-year term
Bob Grogan
Clerk of the Circuit Court
(Republican) 4-year term
Chris Kachiroubas
Coroner
(Republican) 4-year term
Richard Jorgensen
Recorder of Deeds
(Democrat) 4-year term
M. Moon Khan
(Republican) 4-year term
Fred Bucholz
County Board, District 1
(Democrat) Vote for 1, 2-year term
Richard Accomando
(Democrat) Vote for 1, 4-year term
Roland "Rolly" Waller
(Republican) Vote for 1, 2-year term
Sam Tornatore
(Republican) Vote for 1, 4-year term
Donald Puchalski
County Board, District 2
(Democrat) Vote for 1, 2-year term
Elizabeth (Liz) Chaplin
(Republican) Vote for 1, 2-year term
Anna Manzo
Elaine Zannis
Richard Blass
Zachary Wilson
(Republican) Vote for 1, 4-year term
Sean Noonan
County Board, District 3
(Democrat) Vote for 1, 2-year term
Joseph Heneghan
(Democrat) Vote for 1, 4-year term
Anna M. Schiefelbein
(Republican) Vote for 1, 2-year term
Gary Grasso
(Republican) Vote for 1, 4-year term
Brian Krajewski
County Board, District 4
(Democrat) Vote for 1, 4-year term
Khizar Jafri
(Republican) Vote for 1, 2-year term
Amy Grant
(Republican) Vote for 1, 4-year term
John Allen
Michelle L. Moore
Tim Elliott
County Board, District 5
(Democrat) Vote for 1, 2-year term
Tony Michelassi
(Democrat) Vote for 1, 4-year term
Regina D. Brent
(Republican) Vote for 1, 2-year term
Janice Marie Anderson
(Republican) Vote for 1, 4-year term
James Healy
County Board, District 6
(Democrat) Vote for 1, 4-year term
Michael Dobosiewicz
(Republican) Vote for 1, 2-year term
James Zay
(Republican) Vote for 1, 4-year term
Robert "Bob" Larsen
Forest Preserve, District 2
(Republican) 4-year term
Jeff Redick
Forest Preserve, District 4
(Democrat) 4-year term
Brian Wolter
(Republican) 4-year term
Tim Whelan
Forest Preserve, District 5
(Republican) 4-year term
Carl Schultz
Mary Lou Wehrli
Will CountyChief Executive Officer
(Democrat) 4-year term
Lawrence M. Walsh
(Republican) 4-year term
Laurie McPhillips
State's Attorney
(Democrat) 4-year term
James W. Glasgow
Auditor
(Democrat) 4-year term
Duffy Blackburn
(Republican) 4-year term
Gary Good
Clerk of the Circuit Court
(Democrat) 4-year term
Andrea Lynn Chasteen
Barbara Guerrero
Robert Bob Enright
(Republican) 4-year term
Marlene M. Carlson
Coroner
(Democrat) 4-year term
Patrick K. O'Neil
Recorder of deeds
(Democrat) 4-year term
Karen A. Stukel
(Republican) 4-year term
Kristin Cross
StatewideComptroller
(Democrat) 4-year term
Susana Mendoza
(Republican) 4-year term
Leslie Munger
State Legislature
STATE SENATE
Senate, 23rd District
(Democrat) 2-year term
Thomas E. Cullerton
(Republican) 2-year term
Seth Lewis
Senate, 41st District
(Republican) 2-year term
Christine Radogno
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
Representative, 41st District
(Republican) 2-year term
Grant Wehrli
Representative, 42nd District
(Democrat) 2-year term
Kathleen Carrier
(Republican) 2-year term
Jeanne Ives
Representative, 45th District
(Democrat) 2-year term
Cynthia Borbas
(Republican) 2-year term
Christine Winger
Representative, 46th District
(Democrat) 2-year term
Deb Conroy
(Republican) 2-year term
Heidi Holan
Representative, 47th District
(Republican) 2-year term
Patti Bellock
Representative, 48th District
(Republican) 2-year term
Peter Breen
Representative, 49th District
(Republican) 2-year term
Mike Fortner
Representative, 77th District
(Democrat) 2-year term
Kathleen Willis
(Republican) 2-year term
Anthony Airdo
Lisa Wesa
Representative, 81st District
(Democrat) 2-year term
Greg Hose
(Republican) 2-year term
Ron Sandack
Representative, 83rd District
(Democrat) 2-year term
Linda Chapa LaVia
Representative, 84th District
(Democrat) 2-year term
Stephanie Kifowit
(Republican) 2-year term
Mike Strick
Important primary dates
Early voting: Feb. 29-March 14, 2016.
Vote by mail: Dec. 16, 2015-March 10, 2016. Ballots are mailed starting Feb. 4. Returned ballots must be postmarked by March 15.
• Dec. 7: Last day to object to nominating petitions
• Dec. 9: Ballot lotteries must be completed.
• Dec. 14: Last day for filing grass-roots petitions for public policy referendums.
• Dec. 28: Last day for local governing boards to adopt a resolution or ordinance to put public questions on the ballot.
• Jan. 4: U.S. servicemen and women, and citizens temporarily outside the country, can apply for ballots. Returned ballots must be postmarked by March 15.
• Jan. 14: Last day to file a notarized Declaration of Intent to be a write-in candidate.
• Feb. 16: Regular voter registration closes for the March 15 primary.
• Feb. 17: Grace period registration opens. People registering now must vote at the same time they register.
• March 15: Primary election day. Polls open 6 a.m.-7 p.m.