Our endorsement for DuPage County Board seats

This endorsement is a consensus opinion of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.

Here are Daily Herald endorsements in races for DuPage County Board seats:

District 1, GOP: Dunn, Puchalski and Tornatore

Voters will be choosing from five qualified Republican candidates, all with experience in public service, to be the DuPage County Board District 1 nominees in the November general election.

On the June 28 ballot are incumbents Donald Puchalski and Sam Tornatore, along with challengers Cindy Cronin Cahill, Bob Dunn and Maria A. Reyes.

Puchalski, of Addison, is an attorney running for reelection to the county board. He chairs the transportation committee and previously served on the Addison School board. His campaign is focused on public safety and creating a safe environment for DuPage residents.

Roselle resident Tornatore, an attorney, is seeking to continue his 10-year term on the county board. He chairs the development committee and had kept an eye on the county budget during his tenure, focusing on economic growth.

Puchalski and Tornatore deserve to continue their work on the county board.

That leaves Cronin Cahill, Dunn and Reyes for the last spot.

Elmhurst resident Cronin Cahill previously served as the Elmhurst city treasurer. A Certified Public Accountant and small business owner, she is focused on fiscal responsibility in the county.

Dunn, an Elmhurst resident working as a global supply chain executive, is looking to update technology and outdated practices in DuPage County. He currently serves as an alderman for the City of Elmhurst.

Addison resident Reyes works as a police officer. She has served on the St. Philip the Apostle School Board and as Addison Fire Protection District Fire Commissioner. She is looking to address crime in DuPage County.

Cronin Cahill, Dunn and Reyes are all qualified to serve on the county board and each would be an asset to DuPage residents. But with technology factoring into the uncertain future of the county, Dunn's experience and knowledge give him an edge.

We endorse Dunn, Puchalski and Tornatore for the DuPage County Board District 1 Republican nomination.

District 2, GOP: Kordik, Noonan and Veremis

Six Republican candidates in DuPage County District 2 are vying for the chance to get their names on the November ticket.

Grant Dungan, Nicole Giannini, Daniel Kordik, Sean Noonan, John Simpson and Jennifer Veremis are running in the June 28 primary election for three ballot spots in the general election.

Republican DuPage County candidates are facing a board in which Democrats took over the majority two years ago. Divisions and infighting are characteristic of the group.

Kordik, Noonan and Veremis each have a plan and the experience in public service to serve on the board and work with other members.

Kordik has more than 30 years of public service experience, including a stint on the Villa Park Elementary School Board, as Villa Park Planning and Zoning Commissioner and as York Township Clerk. The Oak Brook attorney is focused on public safety in DuPage County and his background should help in legislating and policymaking.

Noonan was a DuPage County Board member from 2012 to 2020. The Elmhurst resident works as a patrol sergeant for the Bloomingdale Police Department. He brings a unique perspective to the problems resulting from rising fentanyl overdoses in the county with an eye on programs and social services.

Veremis is an advocate for mental health services in the county along with supporting law enforcement to deal with public safety issues. The Elmhurst resident, who works as a small business consultant, is an alderman for the City of Elmhurst and serves on the Elmhurst City Centre Board of Directors.

We endorse Kordik, Noonan and Veremis.

District 2, Democrat: Chaplin, Deacon Garcia and Yoo

Voters in DuPage County District 2 will be choosing from two incumbents and two challengers in the June 28 primary election to nominate three Democrats to the November ballot.

Incumbents Liz Chaplin, and Paula Deacon Garcia are running along with newcomers Maryann Vazquez and Yeena Yoo.

Downers Grove resident Chaplin served as DuPage Water Commissioner before she was elected to the county board in 2012. In addition to a concern for clean water, Chaplin has worked to keep finances stable, while keeping an eye on climate change and affordable housing in the county.

Before being elected to the county board in 2020, Lisle resident Deacon Garcia worked at the Village of Lisle for 20 years. Over the past two years, she has used that municipal experience on a county level to get involved with issues such as stormwater damage and mental health.

Chaplin and Deacon Garcia should be allowed to continue their work on the board.

Then, it becomes a decision between Vazquez and Yoo. Both are qualified for the position and would be an asset to DuPage County residents.

Downers Grove resident Vazquez, a retired salesperson, is running as an advocate for elder care and mental health treatment along with a desire to find affordable and accessible public transportation in the suburbs.

Yoo, a legal aid attorney from Elmhurst, was elected as a Democratic Precinct Committeeman for York Township in 2020. She has been an advocate for gun safety while her job has put her in touch with working families and disadvantaged residents. This experience would be a benefit to the county board and it gives her an edge over Vazquez.

We endorse Chaplin, Deacon Garcia and Yoo.

District 4, GOP: Eckhoff, Foltyniewicz and McGowen

Voters in District 4 of DuPage County will be choosing from a slate of four Republicans on the June 28 primary ballot to fill three spots in the November election.

Incumbent Grant Eckhoff is challenged by Annette Corrigan, Reid Foltyniewicz and Paula McGowen.

Attorney Eckhoff has served on the DuPage County Board for two decades following a stint on the Wheaton City Council. The Wheaton resident's tenure has included programs to save the county money while focusing on public safety. He should be allowed to continue those efforts.

Lombard resident Foltyniewicz, an administrative sergeant with the Oak Brook Police Department, has been a Lombard village trustee for eight years. As a trustee, Foltyniewicz reached out to voters and stressed communication and relationships. That would be welcome on a county board that has dealt with internal disagreements.

McGowen, of Glen Ellyn, who works in home rentals, served as a DuPage Regional Board of Schools trustee. She pushed for the county to reinstate the drug court and is an advocate for rehabilitation and an long-term treatment facility. Her tenacity would be a benefit as the county faces an increase in fentanyl overdoses.

Wheaton resident Corrigan, an attorney, has served as a College of DuPage trustee and Milton Township Republican precinct committeeman. She is focused on public safety and finding ways to keep people in the county.

Any of these four would be a benefit to the county board. Experience and determination make Eckhoff, Foltyniewicz and McGowen stand out.

We endorse Eckhoff, Foltyniewicz and McGowen.

District 4, Democrat: FitzGerald Ozog, LaPlante and Fasules

DuPage County District 4 voters are looking at four qualified Democratic candidates to fill three county board spots on the November ticket.

Incumbents Mary FitzGerald Ozog and Lynn LaPlante, along with challengers Gary Fasules and Shawn Ryan, are all campaigning on issues of concern to district residents, such as public safety and economic growth. It comes down to who can deliver.

FitzGerald Ozog, elected to the County Board in 2018, has a leadership role in several board committees. The longtime Glen Ellyn resident has been involved in local government since 1986 and served an elected position on the Glenbard Township High School board.

Glen Ellyn resident LaPlante, a self-described team player, is running for reelection following a productive term that included the creation of the Fine Arts committee, which she chairs. She has shown leadership and an ability to get things done.

Fasules, of Glen Ellyn, is currently a trustee for the Village of Glen Ellyn. During ten years in elected public service, including five months as acting village president, he has been involved with recent issues facing area residents, such as economic development projects downtown, creating affordable housing and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Glen Ellyn resident Ryan, a retired teacher and coach, could bring a different perspective to the county board but he lacks the experience the other candidates would bring as the county looks to the future.

We endorse FitzGerald Ozog, LaPlante and Fasules.