Races set in St. Charles, Geneva, South Elgin after first day of filing
This story has been updated to clarify that city council seats in all five wards are up for election in Geneva, and the incumbent in the 1st Ward filed for election.
Pingree Grove Village President Steve Wiedmeyer and Wayne Village President Eileen Phipps were among the incumbents to formally launch re-election efforts Monday, the first day candidates in many suburbs could file nominating petitions to run for municipal offices in the April 2 election.
Elsewhere, incumbent aldermen in St. Charles and Geneva and trustees in South Elgin will face challenges, while few other contests emerged in other Fox Valley communities after the initial day of filing. The filing period runs until the end of the day Dec. 17.
Here's a look and at Monday's filings.
Carpentersville: Three candidates filed petitions for four open village board seats - three 4-year terms and one 2-year term. Trustee John O'Sullivan is seeking a 2-year term after being appointed to the board in November 2017. Trustee Jeffrey Frost, who was appointed weeks after O'Sullivan, filed to run for a 4-year term. Newcomer Jim Malone also is seeking a 4-year term.
Batavia: At least two new aldermen will join the city council in 2019, with incumbents Dave Brown and Susan Stark announcing they will not seek re-election. Incumbents Alan Wolff in Ward 2 and Scott Salvati in Ward 1 filed nominating petitions Monday. Wolff has been on the council since 2003 and Salvati was appointed in October 2016.
Elburn: Incumbents William Grabarek and Sue Filek filed Monday, as did Nicolas "Nico" Jiminez. Three 4-year seats are available. In November, Jimenez lost a bid to become Kane County clerk. Filek was appointed to the board in 2017. Grabarek has served since 2003. Trustee David Gualdoni said he will not seek re-election.
Geneva: Council seats in all five wards are up for election in April. 1st Ward Alderman Tara Burghart filed for re-election first thing Monday morning. Tom Simonian will seek to regain his 5th Ward alderman seat, taking on incumbent Alderman Craig Maladra; both filed petitions Monday. Simonian was an alderman until April 2017, when he gave up his seat to run for mayor in a contentious but unsuccessful campaign against Mayor Kevin Burns that spring.
Ward 2 Alderman Michael Clements filed to run for a full 4-year term. He was appointed to the council in 2018. He will face Tad Hemming. Dean Kilburg filed for re-election to his 3rd Ward seat, and Paula Merrington filed for the 4th Ward position.
Gilberts: Three trustee seats are up for election. Trustees Louis Hacker and Elissa Kojzarek filed nominating papers Monday.
Pingree Grove: Trustee Charles Pearson and newcomers Raul Lemus and Luke Hall filed nominating papers for three trustee seats up for election.
South Elgin: Three trustee seats also are up for election. Scott Richmond, Lisa Guess and Mike Kolodziej filed for re-election Monday and resident Shane Hamilton, a former village employee, also filed, setting up a contested race.
St. Charles: One seat in each of the city's five wards is up for election. Ryan Bongard is challenging Ward 2 incumbent Rita Payleitner - the only contested city council race after the first day of filing. David Pietryla, who ran unsuccessfully against Lora Vitek in 2017, is again seeking a Ward 4 seat. Incumbents Dan Stellato of Ward 1 and Ed Bessner of Ward 5 also filed their nominating petitions Monday. No one has filed yet in Ward 3.
Wayne: Three trustee seats will be up for election, and incumbents Peter Connolly, Ed Hull and Rob Reed each filed nomination petitions Monday.
• Daily Herald staff writers Susan Sarkauskas, Elena Ferrarin and Lauren Rohr contributed to this report.