Keith Pekau didn’t sugarcoat it.
“I got shellacked,” he said.
The two-term mayor of Orland Park was beaten soundly 57.09% to 42.91% by former longtime trustee Jim Dodge in Cook County, according to the unofficial results from the county’s clerk’s office. Official numbers will come in the coming weeks after they are ratified. Absentee votes still need to be counted.
In raw numbers, as of April 1, Dodge received 8,916 votes to Pekau’s 6,701 in Cook County. In the sliver of the village located in Will County, Dodge won 22-9.
Meanwhile, Dodge’s Orland Park For All’s clerk and trustee candidates swept the election.
Mary Ryan Nowell, Dina M. Lawrence, Joanna M. Liotine and John Lawler are in while People Over Politics candidates Brian Riordan, Carol McGury and Sean Kampas are out.
Pekau was blunt about his loss. And at his concession speech at Papa Joe’s restaurant, he didn’t go away quietly. He had a bitter rivalry with Dodge and was disappointed with the results.
“People don’t want people who tell the truth – they want people who lie to them,” Pekau said. “I told them the truth. Every promise I made, I kept.
“Getting rid of pensions. Putting in term limits. Lowering the pay [of the mayor]. All of that. And they voted to go back to what they had before. Frankly, it’s not the town I thought it was.”
This was Pekau’s first setback in a mayoral race.
The first time he came out a winner in 2017, he unseated longtime incumbent Dan McLaughlin 6,774-5,622 in Cook County, although McLaughlin had a 38-29 advantage in Will County.
McLaughlin was mayor for 24 years and in 2021 wanted another shot at the job and challenged Pekau.
Pekau won again 7,132-6,827 in Cook County and 12-10 in Will County.
One of the things that some felt would sway in Dodge’s favor was a Feb. 5, 2024 meeting packed with pro-Palestine residents at which Pekau and the board refused to draw up a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The meeting featured chanting and shouting and Pekau had police clear the boardroom.
Several people who spoke said the pro-Palestine community would vote him and the other members of the board out of office.
His comment during the meeting of “You can go to another country and support that country and all power to you if you choose to do that,” was shortened to “Go to another country” in some presentations and that inflamed some people even more.
During his eight-year stint as village boss, Pekau said he, his family and board members and their families have endured threats and vile accusations.
“I’m going to be just fine, believe me,” he said. “What I’ve been put through for eight years…there are only a few people who really know.
“I know what we’ve done and I know we’ve run everything honestly and everything is clean but they are probably going to come after me and I’m going to have to hire a ton of lawyers. They are not going to find a thing. I will move on and I’ll be just fine.”
He said he is proud of the way the last eight years went and is not looking forward to seeing how the new board operates.
“Obviously the people spoke,” Pekau said. “I don’t recognize the voter in Orland Park anymore. We actually showed what good government can be and the people of Orland Park chose that they didn’t want that.
“People don’t get the government they want. They get the government they deserve.”
Yet to see Jim s intentions , the Arab Americans of Orland Park need to be more involved in the local politics , to voice their community concerns and contribute to creating the best environment of success of all fronts especially in educational field, health and accountability towards high standards of integrity and morals.
Couldn’t agree more
Keith Pekau took a respectable village and turned it into a laughing stock as he ignored the concerns of residents, made a mockery of our financial obligations and wasted money on a failed concert venue in his backyard. Good riddance to the worst mayor in Orland Park’s history. Luckily it was only eight years. Imagine the damage he would have done with another four. Now time to get rid of Katsenes and Healy.
Indeed, outgoing Mayor Pekau is right in saying that Orland Park voters will get the government they deserve. Unlike the failed government under Pekau, I expect Mayor-elect Dodge to develop a high-performance government valuing both employees and production.
Failed? Please do explain.
Was Mayor Dodge in the Military?
Yes, he is an Army veteran.
Are you serious? Interesting last name BTW
Never did get to see Pekau’s DD 214…
Pekau continued to show his true colors, lowering his dignity by not conceding graciously.
Nice to see the good citizens of Orland Park unite to pull their town back off the garbage heap of a wannabe MAGAt, and typically sore loser. Now they will, once again, get the government they do, in fact, deserve.
“Get rid of pensions” REALLY?!?! The Village of Orland Park along with other municipalities, the workers pay into those pensions like social security. You do remind me of that someone in the white house! Anyway bye bye!
I am extremely disappointed at voter turnout, and will say many were very pleased with Mayor Pekau’s concern and improvements to the town. He truly cared and showed it. Thank you, Keith Pekau, for your care for the people and for your service. 🇺🇸
Yes. A real victim and bitter speech
What an arrogant and ignorant racist!
His first election, Pekau won by 1152 votes.
Next, his re-election was won by 305 votes.
This time around, he lost by some 2215 votes.
Numbers don’t lie and these numbers also tell a story…