Why Hanover Park's trustee candidates are running as two slates
The six candidates running for three trustee seats on the Hanover Park village board on April 4 have divided themselves into two distinct slates.
Incumbents Liza Gutierrez and Herb Porter are joined by former Trustee Jon Kunkel on the Hanover Park United slate, while newcomers Belinda Mustafa, Grace Khan and Manish Shah are running on the Hanover Park Rising Together slate.
In a recent interview with the Daily Herald, representatives of both groups explained their decision to run in tandem.
"We are running as a slate so we can represent multiculture," Shah said. "And that's the main goal. ... I'm from India, Grace is from Philippines, Belinda is American. But we want to represent as a whole, Hanover Park. And having multiculture and different experiences, (we) want to help our city be better."
The members of Hanover Park United said they can deliver diversity and more.
"We're very diverse," said Kunkel, who previously served two terms as trustee. "We all have experience on the board already. So, we're running basically on our experience of what we have been doing in the past. And it's been looking good. We're looking toward the future."
Porter added, "I think we decided to run as a slate because we all have shared values in terms of what we're trying to accomplish for the village,"
"We represent, I think, the most diverse board in all of the Northwest suburbs," he continued. "We have that diversity and we think that's a strength. And we have intentionally looked to retain and to nurture that type of diversity because I think that the thought process that comes from all of the shared experiences all goes to bring us to the best solutions and the best advocacy for the residents of our village."
Gutierrez said the board's diversity is only part of its effectiveness.
"There's one thing that unites us, and that is that we're going to come together, not because of my own agenda or Herb's or Jon's. We're going to look at it 360 (degrees), and we're going to say, 'OK, what's best for the people of Hanover Park?' And that is what these people can do."