Races to Watch in Chicago's Suburbs

Residents in some of the state’s largest suburbs have their own municipal elections Tuesday, including electing a mayor.

Naperville

🗳️ Similar to the Chicago race, the candidates running to lead the northwest suburb list public safety as their top priority, according to NBC 5. 👋 Meet the candidates: Veteran Benny White has served on Naperville’s City Council. Scott Wehril is touting his experience in law enforcement and as a business owner. Tiffany Stephens runs a non-profit serving teens.

Elgin🗳️

Both candidates are focusing on economic development in the state’s sixth-largest city, but challenger Cory Dixon says Elgin needs to tap into new opportunities, such as a cannabis dispensary, according to the Daily Herald.👋 Meet the candidates: David Kaptain is seeking his fourth term in office, and City Council member Corey Dixon would be the city’s first Black mayor.

Joliet

🗳️ Two candidates are looking to unseat the southwest suburb’s mayor, whose past suspensions as a police officer have resurfaced, Patch reported.

👋 Meet the candidates: Incumbent Bob O’Dekirk faces local car dealer Terry D’Arcy and grassroots activist Tycee Bell.

+ What about Illinois’ second-biggest city? Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, yep the one-time GOP gubernatorial challenger, will be in office until 2025.

School board races have become more competitive as ideological differences have split parents, students, and teachers across the U.S., including Chicagoland.

What’re the issues? Gone are the days when masks and remote learning divided parents: Today, it’s library books, sex ed, and critical race theory.

Which suburbs? Oswego, Barrington, Wheaton, and Lockport are some of the nearby suburbs facing competitive races, the Tribune reported.

Who else is getting involved? The 1776 Project PAC, a New York–based group promoting “pride and patriotism” in American history, has supported more than a dozen races in Illinois, according to WBEZ. In a first, the Illinois Democratic Party is funding more than 80 school and library board campaigns across the state, Politico reported.