A political sign on a lawn in Forest View promoting the write-in campaigns on April 4. (Photo by Carol McGowan)
Forest View incumbents beat back write-in candidates
By Bob Bong and Carol McGowan
The three incumbent trustees appear to have won re-election in Forest View where results remain unofficial and incomplete because two candidates mounted a strong write-in campaign.
Apparently re-elected were Maria A. Ramirez, Mike Grossi, and Jim Sudkamp.
They were challenged by write-in candidates Kathleen C. Ehresman and Chad McDade, whose votes were unknown Tuesday night.
Incumbent Midalia Nevarez won the two-year term.
Willow Springs
The three Integrity Party incumbent trustees easily survived a challenge from the Willow Springs Alliance Party Tuesday night.
Ernie Moon polled 789 votes, Fred Posch had 801 votes and Terry Carr garnered 772 votes. Patrick Murray led the Alliance Party with 529 votes, Frank Bianco received 526, and Amanda Marie Chalus tallied 509.
Indian Head Park
Amy Jo Wittenberg will be the new mayor in Indian Head Park next month.
She will replace two-term mayor Tom Hinshaw who chose not to run for re-election along with incumbent Trustees Christian Metz and Rita Farrell Mayer.
Wittenberg easily defeated former Trustee Shawn Kennedy 674-292 in his bid for the mayor’s office. It was vindication for Wittenberg, who had lost her bid for trustee in 2021 by three votes.
Running unopposed for trustee were newcomers Cristina Saldana, Danielle Svestka and James Gazis.
Turnout in the election was 30.1 percent.
Bedford Park
One incumbent was re-elected while another went down to defeat in Tuesday’s race for Bedford Park trustee.
With both precincts reporting, Anthony Kensik was re-elected with 80 votes. Joining him are newcomers Sandra Maloy who received 73 votes and Juanita Rodriguez who led all candidates with 82 votes.
Incumbent Katrina Errant polled 63 votes and newcomer Eileen Doran trailed badly with only 37 votes.
Turnout was 32 percent in the election.
In other village races:
Emily Croucher and Joffrey Bywater were running unopposed for six-year terms as Bedford Park Park District commissioner.
Joanne Holdman ran unopposed for one of two seats on the Bedford Park Library District board. No candidate filed for the second six-year seat. Marc Ponczek was seeking the two-year unexpired term.
Moraine Valley Community College
Eileen Kerlin Walsh and Tracy M. Sullivan were easily elected as new six-year trustees for the Moraine Valley Community College Board in a race that featured 10 candidates on Tuesday.
With all 237 precincts reporting, complete but unofficial results showed that Walsh led all candidates with 9,804 votes while Sullivan received 9,556 votes.
They outpolled board president Brian O’Neill (4,994 votes) and newly appointed board member Tiffany Robinson (3,516).
Turnout in the race was less than 12 percent.
Home rule defeated in Lyons
Voters turned down the Village of Lyons request to make the town a Home Rule community.
The measure was defeated by a ratio of 2-1 at 925 “no” votes to 474 “yes” votes.
Turnout in the village was 22 percent.
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