Why be an educated voter?
“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” —Plato
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” —Margaret Mead
“If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free… it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” —Ronald Reagan
“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” —John F. Kennedy
“Democracy is not a spectator sport.” —Lotte E. Scharfman, Refugee from Hitler’s Germany, Member of the Massachusetts. League of Women Voters in the 1970s
[divider] Thanks for Running [/divider]
Thanks to all hopefuls for petitioning voters (and to registered voters for signing petitions and participating in the process) in order for candidates to throw their hats into the ring with a desire to serve all constituents.
We aim to monitor fair campaigns based on facts, fresh ideas and open minds. We hope thoughtful, practical and prudent candidates are elected in the Primary Election, candidates who intend to set goals from across the aisle, exchange ideas and serve this nation’s governing bodies with integrity, accountability and transparency.
Here’s to engaging local voters who will give time and energy to get to know the issues, the U.S. Constitution as well as independent and fair-minded candidates who strive for liberty and peace.
We continue to hope voters in upcoming elections elect problem-solving policy makers who connect with the everyday challenges of constituents to address government regulation, national and local security and need for tax reform and fiscal responsibility as well as nonpartisan fair maps; elected officials who understand unintended consequences as well as the role and limits of every governing body in a reasonable, respectful manner to protect this nation’s freedoms for “We the people…” and “…justice for all.”
The candidates listed here appear on the websites for the State of Illinois, DuPage County and/or Will County Boards of Elections and will serve Naperville in Washington, Springfield, DuPage County and/or Will County.
Twenty-one (21) calendar days after any election, results are canvassed and will become official.
Click here for “Meet & Greets” and/or Candidate Fundraisers. Look for three red asterisks *** that help identify events this week. All candidates are welcome to send events for posting and/or website addresses to hyperlink.
Stay tuned. —PN
Last Updated, March 5, 2020
[divider] Early Voting Runs March 2-16, 2020 [/divider]
DuPage County Early Voting / Lower Level, Meeting Room A, Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St.
- 8:30AM – 7:30PM Mon.-Fri.
- 9AM – 5PM Sat.
- 10AM – 4PM Sun.
Naperville residents in Will County Early Voting / City Clerk’s Office at Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St.
- 9AM – 3PM Sun.
- 8:30AM -7PM Mon. – Fri.
- 8:30AM to 2PM
Have a question? Need a phone number? Call DuPage County Election Commission at (630) 407-5600.
Direct link to request “vote by mail ballot” in DuPage County.
Vote by Mail is now in progress for March 17, 2020, Primary.
Vote by Mail Application for Will County Primary.
[divider] Get to know candidates running to serve Naperville [/divider]
To vote in the 2020 Primary Election, registered voters must declare a party, Democratic or Republican, or take a nonpartisan ballot. A nonpartisan ballot allows the voter to cast a vote for the ballot question.
Candidate choices below are arranged by office and in categories of Democratic or Republican. A Democratic ballot will list only Democratic candidates and the ballot question. A Republican ballot will only list Republican candidates and the ballot question.
Unless otherwise noted, all terms are four years.
Click Here for Public Opportunities to Meet & Greet the Candidates, Learn Issues.
[divider] Non-Binding Proposition [/divider]
Shall the City of Naperville, in light of state legislation legalizing the possession, consumption, and sale of
recreational adult use cannabis, allow the sale of recreational adult use cannabis within its jurisdiction?
A la luz de la legislación estatal que legaliza la posesión, el consumo y la venta de cannabis para uso recreativo en adultos, ¿debería la ciudad de Naperville permitir la venta de cannabis para uso recreativo en adultos dentro de su jurisdicción?
(Note brief history of this ballot question is posted below the list of candidates.)
[divider] Candidates [/divider]
Victors from the Primary who will appear on the General Election Ballot are designated blue for Democratic and red for Republican.
Federal
U.S. President / Vote for 1 on Democratic (D) Ballot
Amy J. Klobuchar (D)**
Deval Patrick (D)
Bernie Sanders (D)
Joseph R. Biden (D)
Michael R. Bloomberg (D)**
Elizabeth Warren (D)**
Pete Buttigieg (D)***
Tom Steyer (D)**
Andrew Yang**
Michael Bennet**
John K. Delaney**
Tulsi Gabbard (D)
Cory Booker*
**Withdrawn – No longer running
***Suspended Run
U.S. President / Vote for 1 on Republican (R) Ballot
John Schiess (R)
Donald J. Trump (R)
Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente (R)
U.S. Senator in Illinois / Vote for 1
Dick Durbin (D)
U.S. Senator in Illinois / Vote for 1
Casey Chlebek (R)
Robert Marshall (R)
Tom Tarter (R)
U.S. House of Representatives
11th Congressional District / Vote for 1
Bill Foster (D)
Rachel Ventura (D)
11th Congressional District / Vote for 1
Krishna Bansal (R)
Rick Laib (R)
6th Congressional District / Vote for 1
Sean Casten (D)
6th Congressional District / Vote for 1
Jeannie M. Ives (R)
14th Congressional District / Vote for 1
Lauren Underwood (D)
14th Congressional District / Vote for 1
Anthony Catella (R)
Jerry Evans (R)
Ted Gradel (R)
Catalina Lauf (R)
James T. Marter (R)
Jim Oberweis (R)
Sue Rezin (R)
To assist in the ease to study up, this page includes only candidates running in the Primary Elections to serve Naperville. After first winning the Primary on March 17, 2020, candidates will be on the ballot in the General Presidential Election on Tues., Nov. 3, 2020.
Also note, all hyperlinks to candidate websites on this page have been requested.
Link to Democratic Township Precinct Committeeman Candidates
Link to Republican Township Precinct Committeeman Candidates
State of Illinois
81st Representative District / Vote for 1
Anne Stava-Murray (D)
81st Representative District / Vote for 1
Laura Hois (R)
84th Representative District / Vote for 1
84th Representative District / Vote for 1
No Candidate Filed
41st Representative District / Vote for 1
Denika McMillen (D)
Janet Yang Rohr (D)
41st Representative District / Vote for 1
42nd Representative District / Vote for 1
Ken Mejia-Beal (D)
42nd Representative District / Vote for 1
DuPage County
County Offices
DuPage County State’s Attorney / Vote for 1
No Candidate Filed (D)
DuPage County State’s Attorney / Vote for 1
Robert “Bob” Berlin (R)
DuPage Recorder / Vote for 1
Kathleen V. Carrier (D)
DuPage Recorder / Vote for 1
Babette Holder (R)
Ron Almiron (R)
DuPage Circuit Court Clerk / Vote for 1
Moon Khan (D)
Candice Adams (D)
DuPage Circuit Court Clerk / Vote for 1
Chris Kachiroubas (R)
DuPage County Auditor / Vote for 1
William “Bill” White (D)
Bruce C. Fogerty (D)
County Auditor / Vote for 1
Jeffrey Mack (R)
Bob Grogan (R)
DuPage Coroner / Vote for 1
Gregory H. Whalen (D)
DuPage Coroner / Vote for 1
Richard Jorgensen (R)
DuPage Recorder / Vote for 1
Kathleen V. Carrier (D)
DuPage Recorder / Vote for 1
Babette Holder (R)
County Board District 5 / 2-Year Term Vote for 1
Mary Jo Mullen (D)
County Board District 5 / 2-Year Term Vote for 1
Forest Preserve District 5 / Vote for 1
Barbara O’Meara (D)
Forest Preserve District 5 / Vote for 1
Mary Lou Wehrli (R)
18th Judicial Circuit
18th Judicial (Bakalis) / Vote for 1
Margaret “Peggy” O’Connell (D)
18th Judicial (Bakalis) / Vote for 1
18th Judicial (O’Shea) / Vote for 1
Azam Nizamuddin (D)
David Guy Stevens (D)
18th Judicial (O’Shea) / Vote for 1
John Joseph Pcolinski, Jr. (R)
Greg Abbott (R)
Richard J. “Rick” Veenstra (R)
Richard D. Felice (R)
18th Judicial (Sutter) / Vote for 1
Jill Otte (D)
Alice Wilson (D)
18th Judicial (Sutter) / Vote for 1
Ann Celine Walsh (R)
18th Judicial (Anderson) / Vote for 1
Jeffrey M. Jacobson (D)
18th Judicial (Anderson) / Vote for 1
Monique O’Toole (R)
Will County
County Offices
Chief Executive Officer / Vote for 1
Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D)
Nick Palmer (D)
Chief Executive Officer / Vote for 1
Nick Ficarello (R)
Michael Messina – Objection Sustained (R)
Will City Clerk / Vote for 1
Andrea Lynn Chasteen (D)
Will City Clerk / Vote for 1
No Candidate Filed (R)
Will Coroner / Vote for 1
Laurie Summers (D)
Sean Talbot (D)
Will Coroner / Vote for 1
James J. Piacentini (R)
Will County Auditor / Vote for 1
Kevin “Duffy” Blackburn (D)
Will County Auditor / Vote for 1
No Candidate Filed (R)
Will Recorder of Deeds / Vote for 1
Karen A. Stukel (D)
Will Recorder of Deeds / Vote for 1
Gretchen Fritz (R)
Will County State’s Attorney / Vote for 1
James W. Glasgow (D)
Will County State’s Attorney
No Candidate Filed (R)
[divider] Non-Binding Proposition [/divider]
Shall the City of Naperville, in light of state legislation legalizing the possession, consumption, and sale of
recreational adult use cannabis, allow the sale of recreational adult use cannabis within its jurisdiction?
A la luz de la legislación estatal que legaliza la posesión, el consumo y la venta de cannabis para uso recreativo en adultos, ¿debería la ciudad de Naperville permitir la venta de cannabis para uso recreativo en adultos dentro de su jurisdicción?
Voters Opt In with a “Yes” vote
Here’s a little history: In September 2019, Naperville City Council members voted not to permit the sale of recreational adult-use cannabis within its jurisdiction. Yet at its October 15, 2019 meeting, the Naperville City Council voted 6-3 to adopt a resolution establishing an adult-use cannabis referendum on the March 17, 2020, ballot, saying they will trust the will of the voters with a question on the Primary Election Ballot.
Here’s what nonbinding means: Non-binding means this question is an advisory referendum intended to gauge public opinion and guide future discussions by the City Council. The nonbinding results can be interpreted to mean if voters support staying the course without recreational cannabis sales in Naperville, no council action will be necessary. But if the majority of voters say “yes” to wanting to allow local recreational cannabis sales, the council would have the option to reverse its ban and then set zoning regulations for any adult-use recreational cannabis dispensing centers. (Note that a medical cannabis dispensing organization currently is available in Naperville.)
[divider] Wanted! Election Judges [/divider]
Be part of the upcoming election process. DuPage and Will counties are recruiting Election Judges for the Nov. 3, 2020, General Election. Illinois Statutes require bipartisan representation in every polling place. An individual must declare the party he/she will represent. Advance training is necessary as well as availability from 5AM to 9PM on Election Day. Polls are open 6AM to 7PM. For complete info about compensation and training, visit the DuPage County Election Judges or Will County Election Judges.
[divider] Editor’s Notes [/divider]
Any omission in this list of Election Candidates is not intended. To report corrections, please contact Stephanie@positivelynaperville.com and include “Election” in the subject line.
Also, any candidate or campaign manager for a candidate who wishes to be linked to this website (no charge), please send request to Stephanie@positivelynaperville.com and include “Election/Candidate Website” in the subject line. Candidate websites are linked only upon request.
Rates for online banner ads with print ads also are available upon request. Thanks for inquiries!
During PN’s 18-year-plus history, this publication has not endorsed candidates. That said, we’d like to influence all voters to become informed about all the candidates running well in advance of Election Day. Every informed vote makes a difference regarding the best candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot.
PN does endorse long-overdue Fair Maps and term limits, however, quite aware both issues are wishful thinking for Illinois. (Note: Naperville voters approved term limits for the Naperville Mayor and City Council that began in 2015.)
The General Primary Election on March 17 is about putting the most qualified individuals for Democratic and Republican candidates on the ballot for the General Presidential Election on November 3, 2020. The Primary is about all the folks “down ballot” that want to serve Naperville in seats up for election in DuPage and Will counties, Springfield and Washington, D.C.
The 2020 Primary narrows the field, hopefully with the best candidates. We again urge voters to get to know all the candidates that make themselves available. In support of our view of the importance to promote that all politics is local, this website also hosts a schedule of opportunities to meet and greet candidates that participate in candidate forums and other Naperville events.
We understand and appreciate that sometimes Early Voting is the only way residents with busy schedules can make it to the polls.
Our hope for our Republic is that all registered voters will be educated about the candidates and vote by Primary Election Day on March 17, 2020, followed by the General Election Day on November 3, 2020.
Thanks for being an informed voter. —PN
[divider] Now Serving Naperville [/divider]
Are you familiar with the elected officials and leadership that currently serve you on governing bodies (city council, school boards, park district board of commissioners, townships) here in Naperville as well as in DuPage and Will counties, Springfield and all the way to Washington, D.C.?
In addition to this Voters Guide, PN’s Government Guide aims to keep local residents informed. Thanks for getting to know the folks around town who serve to approve budgets and set public policy. To create good government, elected officials need to hear from their constituents.
Direct link to request “vote by mail ballot” in DuPage County.
Vote by Mail is now in progress for March 17, 2020, Primary.
Early Voting (in person) in General Election runs March 2 through March 16, 2020, at City Hall and the Fox Valley Mall (NW Entrance near Macy’s) and Olive Tree Condominiums (200 E. Bailey)
Note: Early Voting will be held at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St., for registered voters in DuPage County and Naperville residents in Will County.
Early Voting runs Monday through Friday. DuPage County Voting will be held in Lower Level Meeting Room A from 8:30AM- 7:30PM. Hours are 9AM-5PM on Saturdays and 10AM-4PM on Sundays.
Will County residents will vote in the Naperville City Clerk’s Office during the same voting period with different hours.
Thanks for paying attention to all the hopefuls on the ballot.
Then be prepared to be an educated voter when you go to the polls.
Click Here for Public Opportunities to Meet & Greet the Candidates, Learn Issues.
Primary Election Day is Tues., March 17.
Originally posted on Feb. 6, 2020. Updated as needed. Last updated on March 4, 2020.
