Aguilar wins nomination in 16th Cook County District

By Bob Bong

Incumbent Frank Aguilar held off a tough challenge from Letty Garcia in the Democratic primary for the 16^th Cook County Board District Tuesday night.

With all but one precinct reporting, Aguilar held a 1,326 vote lead over Garcia. His 8,615-7,289 win was tantamount to re-election as no Republicans filed to run in the primary.

Unofficial returns showed Aguilar with a 54-46 ratio of victory. Turnout was less than 12 percent (17,465 out of 149,532 registered voters).

Aguilar was appointed to the position in 2020 to take the place of Jeff Tobolski who resigned after he was named in a federal indictment. Tobolski also resigned as mayor of McCook at the same time and was replaced by Terry Carr.

A former State Representative who served from 2003 until 2005, Aguilar has been an active leader in the Hispanic community and founded the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee which hosts and organizes the most attended Hispanic and Mexican American events in Chicagoland.

Hometown home rule rejected

Voters in Hometown narrowly rejected the city’s bid for home rule powers on Tuesday.

Unofficial but complete results showed the measure being defeated 381 to 369 with both precincts reporting.

Turnout was 27 percent with 770 votes cast out of 2,818 registered voters in the small community.

Jackson tops 17 candidates in 1^st Congressional District Dem primary

Jonathan Jackson, the son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, easily outdistanced an army of 17 candidates running to take the seat held by former Black Panther Bobby Rush for 30 years.

A first-time candidate, Jackson benefitted by name recognition from his famous father and more than $1 million in outside spending. He had been leading in most polls since he announced his candidacy to replace Rush in February.

The crowd was jubilant at the DuSable Museum of African American History when Jackson, joined by his father and a full band, took the stage to announce victory around 9 p.m.

Jackson was leading in city and suburban Cook County precincts with more than 80 percent of precincts reporting. Pat Dowell was running second and Karin Norington-Reaves, Rush’s preferred candidate, was in third place.

On the Republican side, Army veteran Eric Carlson was leading New Lenox gun store owner Jeffrey Regnier. Philanise White and Geno Young trailed badly.

Barrett wins in 15^th Judicial Subcircuit

In the 15^th Subcircuit (Lawler vacancy), Bernadette Barrett easily defeated Jim Gleffe in the Democratic primary.

Barrett, an Orland Park lawyer who is vice chair of the Moraine Valley Community College Board of Trustees, had 76 percent of the vote (21,658 votes) with 95 percent of the vote counted.

Jim Gleffe, of Palos Park, had 24 percent of the vote (6,808) with 236 of 248 precincts reporting.

There were no Republicans on the ballot.

There were 31,917 votes cast. Turnout was 11.28 percent, according to the Cook County Clerk’s office.