Tight battle for third seat on Hoffman Estates village board

With Election Day votes in nearly all precincts counted, two-thirds of an incumbent slate Hoffman Estates village trustees appear headed to reelection.

Trustees Karen Mills and Karen Arnet, with 2,545 and 2,408 votes, respectively, were well ahead of four other candidates for three four-year terms on the village board. A third incumbent, Michael Gaeta, sits in fourth with 2,066 votes, behind Renee Robinson's 2,089. Gaurav Patel and James Murre - who joined Robinson on the Hoffman Estates Forward slate - had 1,863 and 1,644 votes, respectively, with 28 of 29 Cook County precincts and one of one Kane County precinct reporting.

The tally doesn't include all the votes cast in the race. In addition to the final precinct, ballots postmarked by Tuesday that arrive at election offices by April 20 will be counted, as will provisional ballots.

The incumbents were aligned with Mayor Bill McLeod, while the challengers teamed with retired police lieutenant and mayoral candidate Mark Mueller.

The newcomers argued they'd bring fresh ideas and energy to the board, while the incumbents maintained that their experience put them in the best position to govern amid the economic recovery from the pandemic.

Mills has been a trustee since her appointment to the board in 1992. Gaeta is seeking his third term. Arnet is seeking her second term.

Murre is retired from the village's police department and has since become a real estate broker.

Patel is a dentist who serves on the village's planning & zoning and fire & police commissions.

Robinson is a teacher for 30 years and a resident for nearly that long.