4 incumbents win Gail Borden library board seats

All four incumbents in the race for the Gail Borden Public Library District board held their seats, based on an unofficial tally.

With all precincts reporting, Lisa Knight emerged as the top vote-getter with 5,055.

“I’m just looking forward to continuing with the good work that the library has been doing,” Knight said.

Penny Wegman led the race for a single 2-year seat against Mohammad Iqbal, with 3,976 votes to Iqbal’s 3,440. Iqbal has not conceded the race, with one precinct left to report in Cook County. Wegman did not return phone calls for comment.

Incumbent President Rick McCarthy, Vice President Jean Bednar, Treasurer Knight and board member Herbert Gross faced challenges by Verner Tepe and two members of a 3-candidate slate: Victor LaPorte and Richard Wallett. Wegman joined the slate in her race against Iqbal calling for respectful treatment of board members and fiscal responsibility.

A call for civility on the board markedly criticized the treatment of current trustee Randy Hopp, who has been banned from the library since 2009. The remaining candidates took a stand against Hopp during the election with several, including Tepe, Gross and Knight, calling for his resignation.

Tepe was the only independent candidate, as Iqbal aligned himself with the incumbents in their own 5-member slate.