GOP voters back Noonan over Moore in DuPage sheriff’s primary

Former DuPage County Board member Sean Noonan won the Republican nomination for sheriff Tuesday.

Noonan garnered 30,157 votes, while current Undersheriff Eddie Moore had 15,232 votes, according to unofficial tallies as of about 10:30 p.m.

Noonan said he would come in as a “reformer” and wants to take the sheriff’s office “to the next level.” He spent most of his law enforcement career with the Bloomingdale Police Department, rising through the ranks to become a sergeant. He now is an officer in Oakbrook Terrace.

“I think the public deserves to have a better operating sheriff's office,” he said.

Moore faced some controversy in the eleventh hour of the campaign.

According to a police report, Moore struck a pedestrian from behind while driving an SUV in an Oak Brook parking lot on Feb. 14. Moore stopped and offered the man assistance, but did not report the accident to police, reports indicate. Instead, he provided police with a statement via his attorney days later, reporting that he did not hear or feel any impact.

His wife also asked if the man wanted them to call law enforcement or an ambulance, and the man declined, Moore stated.

An officer determined that “probable cause did not exist to charge” Moore with a misdemeanor, and an internal DuPage sheriff’s investigation also cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Noonan criticized Moore over what happened. He also called for stronger relationships with municipal partners.

“We should go meet with them, sit in their roll calls … It's about networking,” he said. “But the partnership is not as strong as it should be.”

Moore has worked in all three bureaus of the sheriff’s office. Current Sheriff James Mendrick did not seek reelection, instead choosing to mount an ultimately unsuccessful run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

On the Democratic side, Peter Coolidge, a retired DuPage sheriff’s deputy, is running to replace Mendrick.