Hoey takes DeKalb City Clerk seat by wide vote margin

DeKALB – Newcomer Bradley Hoey has been elected to the DeKalb City Clerk’s Office by a wide vote margin, unofficial write-in results released Thursday show.

Hoey collected 1,302 votes, a significant lead over challengers Lynn Fazekas with 283 votes and Steve Kapitan with 225 votes. Fazekas and Kapitan previously served as clerks.

Results were published by DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder Tasha Sims Thursday morning. All three candidates ran write-in campaigns, so ballots were counted by hand.

“I’m very pleased with the results,” Hoey said. “A bit overwhelmed by the huge support. But I think my campaign and the message we had within the campaign obviously resonated with voters.”

Throughout his write-in campaign, Hoey emphasized what he called the need to bring professionalism and continuity to an office that’s seen more than a dozen clerks in less than a decade.

Fazekas, also retired, was appointed DeKalb City Clerk in 2018 when her predecessor Susanna Herrmann left before finishing office. Kapitan a longtime DeKalb City Council alderman who works at Jewel-Osco, was elected clerk in 2009 but resigned in 2012 before finishing his term. Kapitan was the last to serve when the clerk’s office was a full-time gig.

The City Clerk’s Office has not seen a clerk serve out a full four-year term in more than a decade. With a historic revolving door of clerks, all three candidates campaigned this season on addressing the excessive turnover.

Before the election, Hoey nabbed Mayor Cohen Barnes’ endorsement. Barnes won reelection on Tuesday, the first DeKalb mayor elected to a consecutive term in 32 years.

Hoey called the mayor’s endorsement a “big boost” to his campaign. The two have served on various city public and private committees.

“It’s mutual admiration there,” Hoey said of Barnes. “I’ve known Cohen for a number of years [...] I look forward to working with him, the elected officials and with city staff in my new role now as clerk.”

Barnes returned that praise Thursday.

“I’m just very pleased that Brad Hoey was elected into this particular position,” Barnes said. “He’s a consummate professional, a well respected community member. There’s very few people that are as die-hard NIU fan and die-hard fan of DeKalb as Brad.”

Hoey’s gig won’t come without its challenges, nor will it look like what it did the last election in 2021.

In fall 2024, the City Council eliminated the clerk’s salary. The Council also appointed a full-time staffer to a new position, Recording Secretary, meant to carry out the clerk’s duties in their absence. City leaders said Council actions were needed to ensure clerk duties and proper record-keeping were maintained since a judge removed controversial former Clerk Sasha Cohen from office.

At part-time and with no pay, Hoey said he knows it may take some time to evolve the office into something stable, but he’s ready.

“I think the community, not only with my campaign but when you look at the other officials who were elected and reelected, voters feel that our community is on the right trajectory,” Hoey said.

Hoey, who’s lived in DeKalb for more than 30 years, is a retired Northern Illinois University communications staffer and Huskie sports and events emcee who also works in local tourism at the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is the chair on the City of DeKalb’s Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission.

An NIU graduate, his earlier career included a stint as a news and sports anchor at WIFR-TV in Rockford.

Hoey said he was committed to serving out all four years if he won voter support. This will be his first elected held office.

The mayor said he looks forward to working with Hoey to determine what a newly-elected clerk looks like in DeKalb.

“I’m just really happy to have a City Clerk in this role that I know is going to stay in this role, be a professional and restore a lot of respect to this position,” Barnes said.

This story was updated at 6:33 p.m. April 3, 2025.