Candidate filing begins in Cook County towns that could see primaries next year

A single contested race for District 1 village council member in Palatine emerged Monday on the first day of candidate filing for the potential Feb. 25 primary.

Elgin, Hoffman Estates, Palatine and Schaumburg form a small minority of municipalities in Northwest suburban Cook County where primaries could be held if enough candidates file for the April 1 consolidated election.

Palatine resident Greg Langer is challenging incumbent Tim Millar for the District 1 council member seat, while Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz and Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod were among the other incumbents seeking reelection.

In Elgin, one incumbent and three challengers arrived early to city hall Monday to file their nominating petitions for the four available Elgin City Council seats.

Diana Alfaro, Maggie Beyer, Cecilia Brooks and incumbent Steve Thoren turned in their paperwork Monday with the city clerk. The 4-year seats are currently held by Corey Dixon, Dustin Good, Carol Rauschenberger and Thoren.

Rauschenberger said Monday she will not seek reelection.

In Schaumburg, the offices of mayor and village clerk are not up for election in the current cycle. But incumbent trustees Jack Sullivan, Jamie Clar and appointee Esha Patel filed for new four-year terms.

Palatine District 6 Council Member Brad Helms also filed for reelection. No one has filed for the District 4 seat or for village clerk. Greg Solberg recently stepped down from the council creating the vacancy in District 4, while Marg Duer announced she won’t seek another term as clerk.

Joining McLeod on the Hoffman Estates ballot are fellow incumbent trustees Karen Mills, Karen Arnet and appointee Patrick Kinnane, as well as recently appointed Clerk Patty Richter.

McLeod cited major capital improvement projects as a chief reason for seeking a seventh term.

“We have a lot of projects that are going on that have not been completed,” McLeod said. “Obviously there’s a lot of work to do and I want to see it through if I can.”

Schwantz, a Palatine native who has served since 2009, says he still has “more to give” the village. He added the council is close to appointing a replacement for Solberg.

Langer, now running in District 1, is the president of the Whytecliffe Homeowners Association. He has served on the board of the Palatine Historical Society since 2022.

Millar has served on the village council since 2013. Prior to that, he served eight years on the Palatine Township Elementary District 15 board.

Primary elections would be triggered in some towns only if the number of candidates exceeds four times the number of seats for a position. It would take five candidates to require a primary for mayor, clerk or district council member, and 13 to activate a primary for at-large trustee offices.

The filing period in those towns ends next Monday, Oct 28.

Candidates for school, park, libraries and fire protection districts along with townships are also on the April 1 ballot.

The candidate filing period for the general election among local governments without potential primaries is Nov. 12-18.

• Daily Herald staff writer Rick West contributed to this report.