Zay and Martinez have challengers in races for District 6 seats on the DuPage County Board

Both incumbents representing District 6 on the DuPage County board face challengers.

The board’s longest-serving member, Carol Stream Republican James “Jim” Zay, is seeking re-election to another four-year term. Zay began serving on the county board in 1999. He is being challenged by West Chicago Democrat Jesse Gutierrez.

Melissa Martinez, a West Chicago Democrat, was appointed to the board in 2025 and is seeking election to a two-year term. Her Republican opponent is Kathleen Zander of Carol Stream.

Below are some of the top issues the candidates raised in questionnaires to the Daily Herald.

Two-year term candidates

As the only Latina on the county board, Martinez said she is proud to bring a different perspective. She has been a vocal critic of ICE enforcement activity and has worked to strengthen relationships with the Latino community.

Martinez, 46, said she is motivated to address barriers that keep people from accessing mental health care, transportation, housing and public health services. She said she would continue working to educate residents about the programs available through the county and to advocate for partnerships between the county and the communities it serves to improve services.

She said she would support expanding transportation programs by working with other service providers.

“I don’t believe the answer is always creating another program,” she said. “Sometimes it’s making the programs we already fund more accessible, efficient and responsive to the people who need them.”

Zander, 56, said she is running to protect taxpayers and fiscal responsibility. She said she would focus on reviewing county spending to find efficiencies and support policies that encourage business growth and lessen the burden on taxpayers.

She also noted that many residents are unsure where to turn for help or what county services are available to them. She said the county can improve access by building on existing programs and working with other communities or service providers to expand them.

“Residents deserve safe communities, reliable infrastructure, and access to the services they need without placing an unnecessary burden on taxpayers,” she said. “My goal would be to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, county services remain effective and decisions are guided by the needs of residents.”

Four-year term candidates

Zay said his desire to serve is driving his bid for another term, adding that he wants “to help make our community a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

The 59-year-old said the county needs to consider abating property taxes and trimming spending.

“The county is bringing in more sales taxes than that is budgeted,” Zay said. “We need to look at abating property taxes again and providing some relief to our residents. We do not need more revenue; we need to reduce spending on items that the County is not responsible for.”

He supports continued efforts to address food insecurity, job training and mental health services. He also supports expanding public transportation across the district and said he would work with PACE to expand bus services.

As chairman of the stormwater committee, Zay has overseen projects to help stop flooding throughout his district. As chairman of the DuPage Water Commission, he worked with Bartlett to pipe in Lake Michigan water to the village.

Gutierrez, 56, said he felt compelled to get more involved in politics after the 2024 election. He said housing affordability is one of his top priorities.

“Home prices, property taxes and rents have all increased, making it harder for young families to buy their first home, seniors looking to downsize, and being able to work and live in DuPage,” he said. “We need to grow our housing supply and tax base while making sure DuPage remains a place where working families can afford to live.”

Gutierrez also identified transportation as a high priority and would look for partnerships with service providers to expand services.

As a former engineer, Gutierrez said he would use his ability to analyze problems and find “out-of-the-box solutions” on the county board.

Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for the Daily Herald.