Afzal narrowly beats LaPlante to become Democratic nominee for DuPage District 4

A 20-year-old college student from Glen Ellyn will be the Democratic nominee for a District 4 seat on the DuPage County Board after edging out her nearest competitor in a crowded primary field by a mere 48 votes.

Hadiya Afzal had to wait two weeks after the March 17 primary election before she could declare victory in the five-person race. Her nearest competitor was Lynn LaPlante, a violist from Glen Ellyn.

"It just goes to show that every vote really does count," Afzal said Wednesday.

The county clerk's office on Tuesday night released updated vote totals after counting the final vote-by-mail and provisional ballots.

Afzal had 4,447 votes, or 28.23% of those cast, and LaPlante had 4,399 votes, or 27.92%, according to the unofficial final results. Three other candidates trailed far behind.

Election officials said the county's final vote totals will be certified next week.

When asked if she may seek a recount, LaPlante said in an email that she's considering next steps.

Afzal says she's not surprised by how close the District 4 race was because there were five candidates and voter turnout was low. She said she's grateful for what she was able to achieve during the primary.

Now Afzal will face incumbent Republican Tim Elliott of Glen Ellyn in the general election in November. District 4 includes all or parts of Addison, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Lisle, Lombard, Wheaton and Winfield.

"This November is going to be a great chance for the people of District 4 and DuPage County to finally flip the county board and create very significant change in their local government," she said.

The 18-member county board currently has 11 Republicans and seven Democrats.

Afzal says she's running because she wants to bring progressive policies to her community.

During the campaign, she said DuPage should work to increase bike lanes and improve public transportation to help reduce carbon emissions. She also said the county should stop using a state lobbyist.

While she's preparing for a competitive general election, Afzal said she's not fundraising for the campaign right now.

Instead, she's encouraging supporters to donate to local organizations that are helping DuPage residents during the coronavirus outbreak. She suggested donations be sent to the DuPage PADS Emergency Response Fund, West Suburban Community Pantry, and People's Resource Center among others.

"Even small things like that are examples of what we can be doing to help our neighbors in our community in a time like this," she said.