Above / The door at the City Clerk’s counter revealed the first round of hopefuls wishing to serve the 9-member Naperville City Council at the Naperville Municipal Center first thing Mon., Nov. 19, the first day to file nominating petitions. Five city council seats, including mayor, are up for election on April 2, 2019. Candidates seeking to serve could file until 5PM Mon., Nov. 26, 2018. By the end of the filing period, 14 hopefuls had thrown their hats in the ring. Now let those jingle bells ring and enjoy the holiday season. Next up from Dec. 10-17, candidates for school boards and Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners will file. Stay tuned.
UPDATE, Jan. 20, 2019 / While the temperature dipped to a frigid 7 degrees last night in central Naperville, the Consolidated Election is heating up with dozens of Meet & Greet Events and Candidate Forums scheduled during January, February and March in advance of the Consolidated Election on Tues., April 2, 2019.
For the current list of candidates running for Mayor, City Council, School Board 203, School Board 204 and Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners, click on Meet & Greet or Candidate Forums. Thank you.
Meet & Greet Events & Candidate Forums
UPDATE, Jan. 10, 2019 / This week public campaign fundraisers began. Today several more opportunities to meet candidates seeking to serve Naperville City Council were added to the Meet & Greet Event Calendar. Click here for the latest list of Meet & Greets that will be updated regularly.
UPDATE, Dec. 18, 2018 / Click here for the latest list of candidates and the beginning-to-grow schedule of 2019 Meet & Greet events starting in January.
UPDATE, Dec. 6, 2018 / If simply looking for the candidates in the Municipal Election on April 2, 2019, here you go…
Candidates for Naperville Mayor are Steve Chirico and Rocky Caylor.
Candidates hoping to fill one of four four-year seats for Naperville City Council member are Patty Gustin, Paul Hinterlong, Bradford Miller, Michele Clemen, Theresa Sullivan, Bruce Hanson, David Wentz***, Whitney Robbins and Patrick Kelly, Barbara O’Meara and Nancy Turner and Joe McElroy. As of Tuesday, Dec. 4, 11 candidates are running for City Council. ***Withdrew.
The scenario regarding filing, etc., is below. Also, scroll down to find info regarding filing to run for D203 and D204 Boards of Education as well as the Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners. Filing dates are Dec. 10 through Dec. 17, 2018.
186 signatures are required to run for Naperville Mayor & City Council
At 8AM Mon., Nov. 19, the door at the counter of the City Clerks office went up to reveal candidates in line who had arrived to file for the Naperville Municipal Election of Mayor and City Council.
Four minutes later, 11 candidates had submitted their statements of candidacy with nominating petitions.
Candidates for Naperville Mayor are Steve Chirico and Rocky Caylor.
The following nine residents who filed to run for Naperville City Council member are Patty Gustin, Paul Hinterlong, Bradford Miller, Michele Clemen, Theresa Sullivan, Bruce Hanson, David Wentz, Whitney Robbins and Patrick Kelly.
Update, Nov. 26 / By 1:30PM Mon., Nov. 26, Barbara O’Meara and Nancy Turner had filed. The final hopeful to file petitions before the filing period closed at 5PM was Joe McElroy.
A lottery for ballot placement for the candidates who filed at 8AM Nov. 19 will be held at 4:30PM on Tues., Dec. 4 in the City Council Chambers.
The State of Illinois requires the local election official to conduct a lottery within nine days after the last day of the petition filing period. The lottery viewing is open to the public and candidates are not required to attend. The order of filing determines the position of a candidate’s name on the ballot.
(All petitions that were filed by people waiting in line at the City Clerk’s Office at or before 8AM on Mon., Nov. 19, the first day to file candidacy papers, and between 4PM and 5PM on Mon., Nov. 26, the last day to file candidacy papers, are considered simultaneously filed and will be placed in the lottery. Any petitions that were submitted after 8AM on Nov. 19 and before 4PM on Nov. 26 will be on the ballot in the order they were received.)
Note also that upon request, PN will link candidate websites to names of hopefuls in our online stories about the campaign.
And the race goes on…
Along with the statement of candidacy for this nonpartisan election, 186 signatures were required on nominating petitions at the time of filing, signatures of registered voters of residents who reside in the City of Naperville. Most candidates today said they had more than 186 signatures.
Anyone interested is encouraged to read the State of Illinois 2019 Candidates Guide, an online document with must-read info. Prospective candidates were urged to consult either the Election Commission or personal legal counsel with questions to be certain all nomination forms, obligations and petitions are properly understood and carefully completed before filing.
Note that no one in the City Clerk’s Office can advise candidates on any matter related to filing nomination papers which again was reiterated at this morning’s filing by Pam Gallahue, Naperville City Clerk.
An informational checklist walks every candidate through the process for filing nominating papers, including filing of the Statement of Economic Interests with the County Clerk by the last day of filing on Nov. 26, 2018. (No filing Thanksgiving Weekend, Nov. 22-25.)
Why are the candidates running?
The next important question for all the candidates is “Why are you running?” Well in advance of April 2, PN likely will have that answer and more.
We admit to being overcome with emotion as we watched the beginning of another election process early this morning. It’s a daunting commitment for all who seriously begin the campaign. And for every voter as well.
Naperville has been our hometown for 26 years and the place of our business going on 18 years. We’ve never taken the blessings we’ve found here for granted.
We’re aware that some of the candidates in line to turn in petition packets will be elected to plan the City’s future. They’ll have an impact on all residents and City staff. For that reason, we’re hopeful that the race has attracted capable, well-qualified and dedicated candidates to address all the issues that face this vibrant city.
Whether City Council, school board members or park district commissioners, we encourage the Naperville community to elect well-informed and responsible individuals to serve, approve budgets and set local public policy.
Help spread the word to friends and neighbors so the community can experience a healthy campaign in support of knowledgeable, solution-seeking, fiscally-responsible candidates as this city moves forward. Whenever you have the opportunity from now through the end of March 2019, meet and greet all hopefuls who wish to serve. Get to know them before you go to the polls. Local matters.
—PN
A little history of the process to run for City Council
Beginning Aug. 21, 2018, petitions for candidacy for the 2019 Naperville Municipal Election became available in the City Clerk’s Office at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street. Candidates began circulating petitions for signatures on Tues., Aug. 28, 2018, to run in the Consolidated Election on April 2, 2019.
Up for election in 2019 are the four-year positions of Mayor and four City Council members.
To qualify as a candidate, you must be a registered voter of the City of Naperville and have resided within the corporate limits of the City for at least one year.
The filing period began in the City Clerk’s Office at 8AM on Mon., Nov. 19, 2018, and will continue during business hours, 8AM to 5PM through Mon., Nov. 26, 2018, excluding weekend days; the Thanksgiving holiday on Thurs., Nov. 22; and the day after Thanksgiving on Fri., Nov. 23.
Since Aug. 21, the following residents have picked up nominating petition packets for Naperville Mayor: Steve Chirico, Rocky Caylor, Karl Weber, Dianne McQuire and Becky Anderson.
The following residents picked up nominating petition packets for City Council: Bruce Hanson, Bradford Miller, Paul Hinterlong, Kay McElroy (for Joe McElroy), David Wentz, Dana Beatty, Michael Brown, Patrick Kelly, Jacques Lacour, Patty Gustin, Theresa Sullivan, Michele Clemen, Whitney Robbins, Nancy Turner, Barbara O’Meara, Dianne McGuire and Becky Anderson.
NOTE! Names in boldface had turned in nominating petition packets by 5PM on Nov. 26. All candidates running are welcome to request a link to their website for this page and other posts as the campaign steps up.
How many hopefuls will end up filing by Nov. 26, 2018? Answer: 2 candidates for Mayor. 12 candidates for four City Council seats. Will a Primary Election be needed? No.
Primary Election only if more than 4 file for any one office
A Consolidated Primary Election will be held on Tues., Feb. 26, 2019, if more than four candidates file for any one office, or if there are more than 16 candidates for Council or four candidates for Mayor.
The Consolidated Election will take place on Tues., April 2, 2019.
For more information regarding obtaining a petition for candidacy, contact the City Clerk’s Office at (630) 305-5300. For more information about the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us.
Consolidated Election is Tues., April 2, 2019
In addition to Mayor and City Council, the spring Consolidated Election also includes the election for School Districts 203 and 204 Boards of Education and the Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners.
For a list of all local public officials currently serving and when their current terms are up, visit PN’s Naperville Government Guild of Elected Officials.
Packets for School District 203 and School District 204 Boards of Education available at DuPage County Administration Building & online
Did you know? School board candidates now apply online or at the DuPage County Administration Building, located at 421 County Farm Road in Wheaton.
Since both District 203 and 204 administrative offices are in DuPage County, school board elections begin in Wheaton and no longer start at the local school district administration offices.
Three of the seven four-year-term positions are up for election in both school districts.
Prospective school board candidates will find School Board petition packets on the county’s website or they can be picked up in the Election Commission office. Packets were made available 7-10 days prior to the first day to start circulating petitions. The first day to start circulating petitions was Tues., Sept. 18, 2018.
Filing dates to run for boards of education are Dec. 10 through Dec. 17, 2018.
Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners packets file soon
Petition packets for the 2019 Naperville Park District Board of Park Commissioners election have been ready for pickup by interested park board candidates since Sept. 14, 2018. Packets may be picked up from 9AM- 4PM Monday through Friday at the Park District Administration Building at 320 W. Jackson Ave. at the desk of Bridget Tuft, Executive Administrative Assistant/Local Election Official.
Three positions will be up for election on April 2, 2019; newly elected commissioners will serve four-year terms. Unlike the Mayor and City Council, members of the Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners do not have term limits.
Those who wish to run for a seat on the board must be at least 18 years of age and a Naperville Park District resident for at least one year prior to the election.
The Park District makes these packets available as a matter of convenience but candidates are solely responsible for complying with all requirements of the law concerning their candidacy and are therefore encouraged to consult an attorney prior to circulating petitions and before filing for any office.
Filing dates to turn in nominating petition packets are Dec. 10 through Dec. 17, 2018.
The Naperville community seeks responsible women and men to serve its governing bodies to approve budgets and set local public policy. Help spread the word so the community can experience a healthy campaign with knowledgeable, fiscally-responsible candidates as this city moves forward.
Thanks for being informed voters!
Thanks for reading and for paying attention. In January, PN will begin hosting a Voters Guide with Meet & Greet opportunities as well as public forums for the Consolidated Election.
Become interested and educated in what happens locally. Local matters more than you may imagine.
Be ready, responsible and informed about all the candidates in order to cast an educated vote on Tues., April 2, 2019. —PN
PN’s Naperville Government Guide of Elected Officials.
Posted on Nov. 19, 2018. Updated Nov. 29, 2018.
