DuPage voters favored familiar faces for mayor

In November, DuPage County voters appeared ready for a political revolution.

But during this week's local elections, they seemed content with the status quo.

Turnout in DuPage was a typically low 14.7 percent on Tuesday, just months after 57.8 percent of the county's registered voters flocked to the polls for the midterms.

And in most races this time, those who cast ballots favored incumbents, especially in the mayoral races.

Incumbent mayors Nunzio Pulice in Wood Dale and Gopal Lalmalani in Oak Brook won re-election. Naperville incumbent Steve Chirico has claimed victory; opponent Rocky Caylor has not yet conceded. Carol Stream Mayor Frank Saverino ran unopposed for a fourth term.

"We run a village with no property tax," Saverino said Wednesday. "We run a village with no debt. Why would they (voters) want to make a change?"

After claiming victory Tuesday, Chirico said being an incumbent these days is difficult because of a recent "anti-incumbent wave."

He said Naperville is becoming an increasingly diverse community, and members of all those different groups voted during the election.

"I'm very proud that we had a vote that ended the way it did," Chirico said. "I think that represents our city."

Phillip Hardy, an associate professor of political science at Benedictine University in Lisle, said incumbents running for municipal, school, park, library and fire district offices have an advantage because those races are nonpartisan.

"Basic campaign 101 is voters make their decisions largely based on their party identification," Hardy said. "Beyond their party identification, the next thing they look to as a guide is incumbency."

He said incumbents tend to have better name recognition than their opponents.

Of course, just being an incumbent isn't enough to ensure victory. If voters don't feel properly represented - or if there's a hot-button issue - they may want to make a change.

Pulice said he won a third term as Wood Dale's mayor because the city is taking positive steps.

Wood Dale has several initiatives Pulice says he intends to see through over the next four years, including a large stormwater project and efforts to revitalize the Irving Park Road corridor.

"We've been beautifying Wood Dale and trying to improve the infrastructure," Pulice said.

By re-electing him and other incumbents to the city council, Pulice said voters sent the message they are doing a good job.

Like Wood Dale, every incumbent on the Oak Brook Village Board who sought re-election won on Tuesday.

"We are basically the same board that we were before the election," Lalmalani said.

Lalmalani, who captured a third term, said the village is at a crossroads after McDonald's moved its corporate headquarters to downtown Chicago. He said residents didn't want to make a change when the village is dealing with that and other development issues.

"I think the residents wanted experienced and seasoned people who would continue the leadership," Lalmalani said. "I have served for eight years and believe I have done a decent job. If it ain't broke, why fix it?"

Meanwhile in Wheaton, Phil Suess defeated another city councilman to become the city's first new mayor in 12 years. He will succeed Michael Gresk, who did not seek re-election.

Suess made city taxes a signature campaign issue. In each of the past four years, he's voted against raising property taxes "at a time when the city has consistently underspent its budget, has generated higher than expected surpluses and has maintained reserves in excess of stated targets."

On Wednesday, Suess said he believes his record helped him win the election.

"I have been on the council for 14 years," he said. "I have been very consistent in my positions over that period of time. I think our ability to win this election was a reaffirmation of the things we've been doing."

• Daily Herald staff writer Lauren Rohr contributed to this report.