Guido Nardini: 2026 candidate for DuPage County Board District 2

Bio

Party: Democratic

Office sought: DuPage County Board District 2 (4-Year Term)

City: Elmhurst

Age: 53

Occupation: Restaurateur, Club Lago Restaurant

Previous offices held: Alderman 6th Ward, Elmhurst

Q&A

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

I’m running because I care about this community and I care about how the people of this community are treated. I’m running because it seems with what’s going on at the federal level, I can do nothing or I can do something. This campaign is me doing something.

I understand at its core, public service is accountability: every call returned, every text replied and every email answered. At my day job, it’s customer service; in government, it’s a sacred trust.

If you are an incumbent, describe a few important initiatives you’ve led. If you’re not an incumbent, describe a few ways you would contribute to the board.

To be clear, I will contribute to the board on whatever committee Chair Conroy considers appropriate. I will bring with me the tools that have served me well at Club Lago: personal responsibility and a business sense of systems.

And from my experience on Elmhurst City Council, I will bring the practice of picking up every issue and rotating in our hands to anticipate pros and cons from every angle and the commitment to working with any and everyone to make sound decisions.

If I could choose my appointments, they would be Stormwater and ad hoc Housing. Addressing climate resilience is the block and tackle of stormwater infrastructure and is an enterprise that must be managed countywide. Flood water does not respect city limits.

Smart communities have long-term plans for the climate crisis, others ignore it at their peril. I have a nerdish passion for the county’s role in housing. I address it below.

Is there a specific service or amenity that is lacking in the county? If so, how do you propose to provide and fund it?

With Senate Bill 2111 that just passed in Illinois, we have a transformative transit opportunity in DuPage. It’s a $1.5 billion bill — $500 million from a new regional quarter percent sales tax increase and $1 billion reallocated from the motor fuel sales tax Road Fund to a public transportation fund.

DuPage will see increased service, but how that presents itself remains to be seen. Our leverage is the appointment opportunity we have to the NITA Board. With the dissolution of the RTA, NITA will oversee the service boards of PACE, Metra and the CTA.

I will ensure that DuPage’s appointee is a transit professional. We need a data driven approach to address transit deserts, make sure everyone can get to work and College of DuPage and make sure that public transit serves more people.

With the county's budget being squeezed by federal funding cuts and other factors, what initiatives would you support to increase revenue and/or save money?

The DuPage Sustainability Initiative exists precisely because of the federal government’s increasingly reckless unpredictability. Canceling programs in the middle of the night only to double back the next morning is no way to run a shop, no way to care for a community.

The DuPage Sustainability Initiative is our best tool to remain nimble, planning in a time of inconsistent federal support. Should cuts require it, the county should prioritize the protective services of food insecurity and the new Crisis Recovery Center, its core duties, and look to stretch infrastructure replacement schedules until we can cooperate more reliably with the federal government.

What is the single most important issue facing your district, and how should the county address it?

We are in an affordability crisis. I see it in my business in produce and beef, and at home in water rates and groceries. Housing is one of the affordability crisis’ primary drivers.

Every DuPage resident deserves a safe, affordable place to live. The county must increase housing supply, expand affordable housing programs, and reduce red tape that drives up costs. The notion that a young family can purchase a modest home with a manageable mortgage near their workplace, that ship has sailed.

The area median income (AMI) thresholds for first-time homebuyer assistance must be raised. Existing programs can help families put down roots in DuPage, but AMI limits currently prevent many working households from qualifying.

We must support the development of the “Missing Middle” — the spectrum of housing between single-family homes and high-rise buildings — with financial incentives and state or federal grants. We need to redefine affordable housing as attainable housing.

Not synonymous with Section 8; it should include well-designed, multiunit stock that allows people to live near where they work and supports economically healthy communities.

Why are you the best person to serve in this role?

Professionally, at Club Lago, I know what it’s like to make a weekly payroll. I know what it’s like to be accountable to the families of the people I employ. On Elmhurst City Council, I manage a $200 million budget.

I will hit the ground running on the board. Personally, I’m old enough to not go along to get along, to know what can go wrong and to be stubborn. I will bring that experience and determination to the DuPage County Board. I understand the commitment and am ready to roll up my sleeves and do the work.