* Democratic Party of DuPage County…

In a historic and resounding night of victories, the Democratic Party of DuPage County is celebrating sweeping wins in township races across the county. Democrats are currently leading in 48 out of 49 contested partisan races (one Addison township trustee race is separated by just 35 votes). In township after township, voters delivered a clear and powerful message: they want Democrats, and the values they bring, leading local government.

These results mark a seismic shift in local politics. Several townships in DuPage County that had never before elected a Democrat will now be represented by Democratic leadership — a testament to the party’s deepening connection with voters and its commitment to delivering for working families.

“This is more than just a good night for Democrats — this is a profound statement from the people of DuPage County,” said Reid McCollum, Chair of the Democratic Party of DuPage County. “Voters have made it crystal clear that they want leaders who will bring transparency, fairness, and forward-thinking solutions to local government. These are community members stepping up to put their communities first, and voters overwhelmingly approved.”

The Democratic Party of DuPage County extends heartfelt thanks to the volunteers, organizers, and most importantly, the voters, who made this night possible.

* Daily Herald…

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin appears to have lost his bid to win a third term as the leader of the state’s second-largest city.

Challenger John Laesch was upbeat in declaring victory shortly before 10 p.m.

“Tonight, the candle of hope burns a little brighter in our city our state and across the United States of America,” winner John Laesch said at his campaign party. “Nine months ago I told you that we would give birth to a radical new idea of a government, an economy, that works for everybody. Tonight we took a big step forward and we did it together.”

But Irvin remained defiant in a speech to his own supporters.

“This ain’t the end for me, y’all. This was just the beginning. I may not be the mayor of Aurora the next four years, but I am still somebody!” Irvin he told them.

* WGLT…

Dan Brady is set to return to public life after a 22-year run as a state lawmaker.

Brady became the first mayoral candidate in Bloomington since 1997 [Judy Markowitz] to defeat an incumbent mayor on Tuesday.

According to unofficial results on Tuesday, Brady [48%] won decisively over city council member Cody Hendricks [33%] and Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe [19%] in a race which saw unusually high turnout for a municipal election [31% in Bloomington].

“The victory belongs to all of us here tonight,” Brady told a large gathering of supporters in the dining room at Jim’s Steakhouse. “And now the real works starts because it begins governing. Let’s build a safer, strong and more vibrant Bloomington together.”

* Daily Southtown…

State Sen. Napoleon Harris and members of his Democratic slate were far ahead of other candidates seeking positions on the Thornton Township Board, according to unofficial results Tuesday from the Cook County clerk’s office.

With 102 of 104 precincts reporting, Harris had 74%, followed by Independent candidate Nate Fields with 10.8%, Republican Richard Nolan with 10.4% and Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark with 4.6%.

Harris declared victory to a room of jubilant supporters at Beggars Pizza in Lansing Tuesday night, thanking each member of his slate as well as supported candidates in Dolton and in school board races. […]

Trustee candidates on Harris’ Democratic slate include incumbent Trustee Christopher Gonzalez, seeking reelection, as well as Mary Avent, Valeria Stubbs and Byron Stanley. According to unofficial results, all four were leading Tuesday evening. Stanley had 10,437 votes, Gonzalez had 10,316 and Avent and Stubbs both had 10,152.

* Some school board race results…

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau concedes defeat in bid for third term: Pekau thanked supporters gathered at Papa Joe’s restaurant, telling them “I got shellacked” but that “we ran a great campaign.” He said he texted congratulations to Dodge. With 44 of 45 precincts reporting, Dodge had 57% of the vote to 43% for Pekau, unofficial results show. Turnout for the election was more than 33% of registered voters, according to the Cook County clerk’s office.

* CBS Chicago | Jason House easily elected mayor of Dolton, Illinois after defeating Tiffany Henyard in Feb. primary: Dolton Village Trustee Jason House was elected mayor of the south Chicago suburb Tuesday, and the sign outside Dolton Village Hall announcing Mayor Tiffany Henyard will soon come down. House won the race with more than 95% of the vote, up against Rebuilding Dolton Party candidate Casundra Hopson-Jordan. House dispatched Henyard in the February Democratic mayoral primary.

* Tribune | Ann Tennes overwhelmingly elected Skokie mayor, unofficial results show: Former Skokie official Ann Tennes declared victory in the race for Skokie mayor Tuesday, with unofficial results from the Cook County Clerk’s office showing she commanded a hefty percentage of vote totals. The victory starts a new era in the village of about 65,000 after 24-year mayor George Van Dusen chose not to run for another term. Unofficial results show Tennes, the village’s former director of marketing and communications, received a little over 49% of the vote, with all precincts reporting, in a three-way election race. Those unofficial results also showed David “Azi” Lifsics with just over 38% of the vote and Charles Isho with 12% of the vote.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Voters appear to overwhelmingly shoot down proposed Kane County sales tax hike: Voters in Tuesday’s consolidated election appear to have shot down a referendum question in Kane County that would have increased the sales tax by 0.75% to pay for public safety expenses in the county. With all precincts in Kane County reporting, unofficial results from Tuesday night showed 75.25% of voters against and just 24.75% of voters in favor of the proposed sales tax increase as of 9:55 p.m., according to data from the Kane County Clerk’s Office.

* Daily Herald | Voters favor incumbents in Kane County council and board races: There were contested races for four seats on the St. Charles City Council. In Ward 1, incumbent Ronald Silkaitis bested challenger Robert Kasper. According to unofficial totals, Silkaitis had 691 votes, and Kasper had 553 votes.

* Aurora Beacon-News | In Tuesday election, Aurora City Council incumbents appear to stay, except alderman at-large: Incumbent at-large Ald. Ron Woerman trailed challenger Keith Larson with his 41.95% of the vote to Larson’s 58.05%, according to unofficial results Tuesday night from Kane, Kendall, DuPage and Will counties, with all precincts reporting. Larson told The Beacon-News that he “wasn’t expecting this” but that it “feels really amazing,” and he is grateful to everyone who helped to make it possible.

* Naperville Sun | Two incumbents, two newcomers appear headed to Naperville City Council; Bruzan Taylor unseated: With all Naperville precincts in DuPage and Will counties reporting, incumbents Benny White and Ian Holzhauer appeared headed toward another term on Naperville City Council alongside newcomers Mary Gibson and Ashfaq Syed, according to unofficial results. Incumbent Jennifer Bruzan Tayor was trailing behind as the fifth-highest vote getter in the eight-way race for the four, four-year council seats up for election.

* Daily Herald | Tinaglia to take over as Arlington Heights mayor amid Bears stadium talks: Longtime Arlington Heights resident, architect and village Trustee Jim Tinaglia will become the town’s next mayor amid ongoing discussions with the Chicago Bears over redevelopment of Arlington Park. Tinaglia had 7,165 votes, Tom Schwingbeck had 4,090 votes and Jon Ridler had 1,700 votes, according to unofficial vote totals Tuesday night.

* Daily Herald | Bertucci, Santa Maria, Zyck and Manganaro top crowded Arlington Heights trustee race: Jim Bertucci, Carina Santa Maria, Greg Zyck and Bill Manganaro were the top vote-getters Tuesday night in the crowded race for Arlington Heights village board, according to unofficial results. Eight candidates ran for four available trustee seats on the elected panel. Bertucci, the lone incumbent, led the pack with 7,301 votes, followed by Santa Maria with 6,926, Zyck with 6,229 and Manganaro with 5,619, early results show.

* ABC Chicago | Jason House projected to win Dolton mayoral election, replacing Tiffany Henyard: ‘It’s a new day’: House has been on the Dolton Board of Trustees for eight years now. He is projected to defeat businesswoman Casundra Hopson-Jordan, who ran as an independent. “I just felt it was important to throw my hat in the race to give people options, to know that we don’t have to just keep recycling the same old politicians,” Hopson-Jordan said.

* Shaw Local | Joliet Junior College board incumbent likely to retain seat despite controversy: Broderick and Lee were accused of harassment by JJC President Clyne Namuo in a Nov. 6, 2024 report from law firm Laner Muchin, which was not publicly released until weeks before the election. Despite those controversies, Broderick said on Tuesday night she believed the public realized the “value of having me as a board member.”

* Tribune | Incumbent Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin celebrates apparent victory: Incumbent Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin appeared to defeat challenger Mark Mulliner by a wide margin, taking 6,436 votes, or 71% of the 9,000 votes cast, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s voting. Mulliner, the city’s longest serving alderman before leaving the City Council two years ago, drew an unofficial tally of 2,625 votes, or 29%.

* Patch | Hinsdale Officials Well Ahead Of Newcomer In Race: Unofficial Returns: Former DuPage County Board member Greg Hart was the sole candidate for village president in Tuesday’s election. Elected in 2009, President Tom Cauley decided against seeking a fifth term. In a statement Tuesday, Hart said he was looking forward to serving “our incredible village.” He said he wanted to maintain and improve public safety, diversify the sales tax base through “smart” economic development and bring new energy to local government.

* Daily Herald | Schielke secures 12th term as Batavia mayor, St. Charles’ Vitek appears headed to defeat: Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke appeared to secure his 12th term Tuesday, keeping him in the post he’s held since 1981. Schielke had 2,620 votes, and challenger Tom Connelly had 2.294, according to unofficial results. Schielke is believed to be the third-longest-serving current mayor or president in Illinois.

* Daily Southtown | Incumbent Michael Glotz leads in Tinley Park mayoral race: Unofficial results show Glotz leading with 59.7% of the vote over Michael Maloney, a former union executive, with all precincts reporting. Also leading was Glotz’s One Tinley Park slate, which includes Village Clerk Nancy O’Connor, with 58.8% of the vote or Cynthia “Cindy” O’Boyle. Trustees William Brady, Dennis Mahoney and Colleen Sullivan held signifcant leads. Brady had 5,639 votes according to unofficial results, followed by Sullivan with 5,286 votes and Mahoney with 5,113.

* Daily Southtown | South suburban high school board race results: In Orland High School District 230, three incumbent board members sought reelection though there were six other candidates for the four seats. With all precincts reporting, unofficial results showed board veteran Susan Dalton leading with 12,704 votes, followed by Mark Kelly with 12,200 votes and recently appointed board members Nadine Scodro with 10,466 votes and Chris Kasmer with 10,059. They were all park of the 230 United Slate.

* Daily Herald | Several school board battles unfolded in Northwest suburbs Tuesday: Among several school board races in the Northwest suburbs Tuesday, Barrington Unit District 220’s was one of the most contested with six candidates vying for four seats. Incumbents Sandra Ficke-Bradford, Steve Wang, Katie Karam and Erin Chan Ding all appeared to be leading late in the evening, according to unofficial results. Their reelection bids were challenged by Harathi K. Srivastava and Deanna Stern.

* Evanston Now | Biss wins reelection with 62% of vote: Unofficial returns show Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss winning a decisive victory Tuesday night defeating Jeff Boarini to remain the 22nd mayor of Evanston. With 44 of 45 precincts reporting, the Cook County Clerks office says Biss received 62% of the vote to 38% for challenger Jeff Boarini. That was a narrower margin than the 73% Biss won four years ago in his first race for mayor.

* Daily Herald | Challenger defeats 12-year incumbent in Palatine trustee race: With all precincts reporting in the race for three seats on the Barrington village board, two-term incumbent Jennifer Wondrasek appears to have won a third term with 902 votes. She will be joined by 10-year village board veteran and fellow incumbent Todd Sholeen, who received 777 votes and challenger Lauren Klauer who received 686 votes. Former U.S. Army Reservist Jesse Rojo received 551 votes.

* Daily Herald | Burket edges past Fasules in Glen Ellyn village president’s race; mayors losing in other DuPage towns: James Burket edged past Gary Fasules in the race to decide Glen Ellyn’s next village president. Burket, a former village trustee, garnered 2,462 votes, compared to 2,096 for Fasules, a sitting board member, according to unofficial tallies so far.

* Tribune | Incumbent Vicki Scaman claims victory in contentious Oak Park village president race: After what was an unusually contentious and at times personal battle, incumbent Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman appeared to win a convincing victory over challenger Ravi Parakkat, a member of the Village Board, according to preliminary results from Tuesday’s municipal elections. With results from all 32 precincts reporting, Scaman has received 6,083 votes to Parakkat’s 3,705 votes. This was a significantly bigger margin than Scaman achieved in her first race for village president four years earlier, when Scaman won 56.14% of the vote against progressive activist Cate Readling.

* Lake County News-Sun | Long-time North Chicago mayor declares victory once again; ‘I will continue to do everything I can to make North Chicago better’: Rockingham had 68.72% of 924 votes counted as of Wednesday morning, compared to community activist David Hood with 21.21% and Ald. Anthony Coleman, 2nd Ward, at 10.06%, according to unofficial results from the Lake County Clerk’s Office.

* Lake County News-Sun | Cunningham declares victory in campaign to return as Waukegan mayor; ‘I want to continue with the plans we started’: Former Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham, the city’s first Black chief executive, declared victory Tuesday night in his bid to regain the office he lost four years ago, thus extending the city’s 28-year string of one-term mayors. Leading in a four-candidate race, Cunningham was ahead of incumbent Mayor Ann Taylor, who defeated him four years ago to become the city’s first woman chief executive, according to unofficial results.

* Daily Herald | Incumbents fare well in Lake County municipal board races: In a close race for three seats, Katherine “Casey” Rooney led all candidates with 1,885 votes followed by newcomer Kara Macdonald with 1,573 votes and incumbent Matt Krummick with 1,490 votes. Andrew Herrmann had 1,403 votes and Patrick Scheibler, 1,401. Krummick, Rooney and Herrman ran as a team with Donna Johnson who squeaked out a victory for a second term.

* Tribune | Rose Reynders, Michael LePore, Nicholas Muller lead in Homer Glen: Rose Reynders, Michael LePore and Nicholas Muller had a commanding lead Tuesday night in a race for three 4-year seats on the Homer Glen Village Board. […] With all precincts reporting, Reynders had 1,821 votes, LePore had 1,675 votes and Muller had 1,505 votes, according to unofficial results.

* Elgin Courier-News | Elgin City Council incumbents Thoren, Good and Dixon appear headed to victory, joined by newcomer Alfaro: Election results will remain unofficial until mail-in ballots postmarked for Election Day or earlier are counted, provisional ballots are checked and votes are canvassed. Thoren, an Elgin native, is seeking a second term on the council. He previously served as an Elgin Township trustee. He is an Elgin Neighborhood Watch captain, member of the Elgin Breakfast Rotary and Elgin American Legion and past board member of Senior Services.

* Daily Herald | Meier defeats Wilson in Mundelein mayoral race: The third time was the charm for Mundelein mayoral aspirant Robin Meier. As ballots were counted Tuesday, Meier was ahead of fellow Trustee Tim Wilson for the center seat on the village hall dais. Meier had 1,335 votes to Wilson’s 837, unofficial results showed.

* Daily Herald | Fox Valley school board incumbents appear headed to victory, early returns show: One of the most hotly contested races in the suburbs was in Burlington-based Central Unit District 301, where 10 candidates ran for four seats on the school board. Eight candidates sought three 4-year seats on the board. They are incumbents Dornetria Hemphill and Marc A. Falk, Micheline Welch, Graciela Martinez, PK Parekh, Roumiana McMahon, Scott Mrkvicka, and Ryan Wasson. Unofficial, early totals from precincts in Kane and DeKalb counties show Wasson leading with 1,721 votes, followed by Welch with 1,613 votes, Mrkvicka with 1,110 votes and Parekh with 1,014 votes. Incumbents Hemphill and Falk trailed with 972 and 821 votes, respectively.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | Belleville has a new mayor. ‘Just call me Jenny,’ she said from her victory party: Belleville City Clerk Jenny Gain Meyer has defeated Mayor Patty Gregory, who became the city’s first female mayor four years ago by successfully challenging a longtime incumbent. Belleville voters in Tuesday’s consolidated election cast 3,399 votes (63%) for Meyer, 1,972 votes (36%) for Gregory and 17 votes (less than 1%) for write-in candidate Ryan Musick, according to unofficial results released by St. Clair County Clerk Tom Holbrook’s office.

* WGLT | Voters in Normal retain Mayor Chris Koos for a 6th term: Mayor Chris Koos of Normal has won a 6th full term in office, defeating challengers Kathleen Lorenz and Chemberly Harris. Though both those candidates have been on the town council for years, they called for change. Koos has been mayor since 2003. “I think the takeaway is I had a great campaign team. We did what I call a classic campaign. We did it right and built broad support in the community. I was worried because it was a three-way race, and it’s very hard to predict what’s going to come of that,” Koos told WGLT after the result became clear.

* PJ Star | Rita Ali soundly defeats John Kelly in fierce race for Peoria’s mayoral office: Peoria Mayor Rita Ali comfortably defeated city councilman John Kelly Tuesday night securing herself another four-year term as Peoria’s mayor. Ali defeated Kelly by a margin of 9,950 votes to 6,753 votes with 100% of precincts reporting in Peoria as of 9:30 p.m. Kelly told the Journal Star Tuesday night he was “disappointed” with the outcome of the election but said “the people have spoken.”

* PJ Star | Incumbent Alex Sierra defeats former trustee in Peoria Park District board race: Incumbent Alex Sierra retained his seat Peoria Park District Board of Trustees for the Southern District in an election Tuesday that pitted him against former Park District trustee Joseph Cassidy. Sierra ran unopposed for his seat in 2023. Cassidy was elected to the Park District board in 2021 and stepped down in 2023 when he relocated to Atlanta. With 100% of the precincts reporting, unofficial results show Sierra collected 621 votes (53.40%) to Cassidy’s 542 (46.60%).

* PJ Star | ‘Deeply honored’: Two challengers and incumbent win seats on Dunlap school board: Incumbent Tom Feldman successfully defended his seat, while challengers Youssef Boudjarane and Mick Hall defeated incumbents Abby Humbles and Steven Hodel. Key subplots in the race were a campaign by a group of parents calling for the removal of current school board president Humbles and the circulation of mailers by a political action committee targeting Hall that highlighted a three-year suspension of his law license in 2012.

* Fox 2 Now | Election results: Key Illinois municipal races take shape: Illinois Election results are coming in for several key municipal races across Illinois, including the high-profile mayoral contests in Belleville and Alton. Incumbent Mayor Patty Gregory, seeking a second term, lost to City Clerk Jennifer Gain Meyer in a competitive showdown. Gain Meyer received 2,118 votes, while Gregory had 1,268. For the Edwardsville School District School Board, Scott Ahart leads the race.

* QC Times | Unofficial results show Ashley Harris elected as Rock Island mayor: Current Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms was defeated by challenger Ashley Harris, according to the unofficial election night results. As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, all 120 precincts had reported. Thoms received 2,661, or 48.6% of the votes compared to Harris’ 2,811 or 51.3%. Thoms was first elected in 2017.

* Rockford Register Star | Election: Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara wins third term: Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara won re-election to a third term on Tuesday, easily defeating a challenge from Rockford real estate agent Derrick Kunz, according to unofficial election results. McNamara, a Democrat, won 12,969 votes or 78% of the vote. Kunz, a businessman who campaigned as an independent, had 3,583 votes or 22% of votes cast, unofficial results from the Rockford Board of Elections showed.

* WAND | Sangamon County voters overwhelmingly decide to dissolve Recorder’s Office: With 100 percent of precincts reporting the vote was 67 percent in favor of eliminating the office. With the approval, the county office will close Dec. 1, 2026. Operations will be moved to the Sangamon County Clerk’s Office.

* WAND | Voters in Chatham approve tax hike for library repairs: The referendum passed 55 percent to 45 percent and was separated by 247 votes, 1,327-1,125. The Chatham Area Public Library posted on its website that the tax increase will cover three areas: much needed infrastructure repairs, provide long-term financial stability, and expanded materials, services, and technology. The library said the increase would add $26.95 a year to a home valued at $200,000.

* BND | Final unofficial results: Southwest Illinois boards of education and school referenda

* Pantagraph | 1% School Facility Occupation Tax passes in McLean County: With 100% of votes counted, the proposed 1% County School Facility Occupation Tax has passed in McLean County. According to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election, the measure passed with 17,415 votes for and 15,427 votes against the measure.

* WGEM | Hancock County voters turn down school sales tax: On Tuesday, Hancock County residents denied a sales tax that would have been used exclusively for county schools. The rate of the tax would have been 1% and was planned to go towards school facility purposes, school resource officers and mental health professionals.

* WAND | Decatur city council sees 2 win re-election and 1 newcomer, while DPS61 school board gets 4 fresh faces: Unofficial votes in Macon County saw council incumbents David Horn and Ed Culp win re-election and Consuelo Cruz win a four-year term. The five-way race saw Horn get the most votes followed by Culp and Cruz who were separated by 20 votes. James Wrigley was fourth and Micah Ray was fifth.