Democrat Coolidge leading in DuPage sheriff contest
Democrat Peter Coolidge appears to be winning the race to take over as DuPage County sheriff, according to unofficial election results.
As of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, unofficial totals showed Coolidge, of West Chicago, had 174,868 votes. Republican opponent Sean Noonan had 114,381 votes. That was with all early votes, some mail-in ballots and 43% of same-day votes tabulated, according to the county clerk’s website.
Noonan, a Republican from Elmhurst, is a former DuPage County Board member who served eight years on the board. He is a police officer in Oakbrook Terrace and has worked for several other departments, including Addison and Bloomingdale.
Coolidge retired from the sheriff’s office in 2024 after nearly 28 years. He had worked in the corrections, law enforcement and court security divisions.
Both candidates decided to run after James Mendrick chose not to seek a third term as sheriff. Instead, he made an unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination for governor.
The sheriff’s office patrols and investigates crime in unincorporated areas of the county. It also operates the county jail, provides security at the county courthouse in Wheaton, serves warrants and summonses, conducts judicial sales such as foreclosures, performs evictions and operates a forensics laboratory.
Calling himself a reformer, Noonan said the office is in “dire need” of new leadership. He defeated Mendrick-backed Undersheriff Eddie Moore in the Republican primary.
During the campaign, Noonan said he would seek to improve leadership and morale in the sheriff’s office. He said he hopes to strengthen relationships with municipal police agencies.
Noonan said public safety would be his first priority, followed by recruiting and retention of employees. He said there’s been burnout among employees and slower response times due to not having proper staffing.
Coolidge said he would work to improve trust between the community and law enforcement. He also would ensure that license-plate reader technology is used responsibly.
He said the department needs adequate resources and must work to improve staffing. In addition, he said he supports offering mental health assistance for people experiencing a crisis, “not just handcuffs.”
Preventing gun violence should be a top goal of the sheriff’s office, Coolidge said. To that end, he said he would expand free gun-safety and safe-storage training. He also wants to create special teams to take on domestic and sexual violence.
Noonan and Coolidge both voiced support for continuing the office’s work with JUST of DuPage, which provides educational, therapeutic and spiritual programs for jail detainees.
ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com