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MANTENO — There will be competition for the village of Manteno offices of mayor, trustees and clerk in the April 1, 2025, municipal election as The Manteno Choice Party announced its candidates.
Topping the party’s slate, which was released this week, is current village Trustee Joel Gesky for mayor, while Cameron (CJ) Boudreau, Sherri Crawford and Annette Zimbleman are running for trustees. Stacy Malone is vying for village clerk.
The Manteno Freedom Party previously announced its full slate of candidates.
Gesky, a longtime Manteno resident, has been a trustee for 18 years and is looking to take over for Tim Nugent, who decided not to run for reelection. Gesky was first elected along with Nugent in 2006 when voters decided new leadership was needed.
“The thought process was, ‘Hey, we’re going to get in there, right the ship and be done,’” Gesky said. “Well, I don’t think any of us really expected, when you run initially, that you’re going to be there for as long as I have.”
Gesky, a 1990 graduate of Marist High School and from the University of Nebraska in ‘94, has lived in Manteno for 23 years. He’s a State Farm Insurance agent in Bourbonnais.
During his time as a trustee, Gesky said he’s been an “instrumental part” of a lot of the improvements in Manteno, including the Square on Second, the sale of the water and sewer system to Aqua, the Main Street streetscape, purchasing a new village hall, police department and public works building, as well as upgrades to Legacy Park.
“So much for one term and I’m out,” he said. “One term turned into decades.”
The Manteno Choice Party’s mission statement, in part, is to “Foster a thriving, inclusive community where we honor our roots while embracing opportunities for growth and innovation.”
REST OF SLATE
Boudreau, a current trustee who was appointed earlier this year to fill the unexpired term of Sam Martin, is a school teacher and golf coach at Manteno High School.
Crawford is a real estate agent and a longtime Manteno resident and has been very active in the community, Gesky said.
“She’s brings a history of successfully managing a business, which is what we need,” he said.
Zimbelman, who’s a current member of the Manteno Planning Commission, is a Manteno High School graduate and is the operations manager for Rad Rides by Troy Inc., an auto restoration service in the village owned by her brother, Troy Trepanier.
Malone works for a funeral home and serves as the chair for the Manteno High School athletic boosters club.
“[Malone] has been very involved, and she will be a great addition to our party,” Gesky said. “… We look forward to the opportunity to showcase to the community that we’re the right choice for them.”
In October, the Freedom Party announced its slate, led by Annette LaMore, who is running for mayor. LaMore was a former village trustee, and she has been the spokeswoman for the Concerned Citizens of Manteno.
Also running for the Freedom Party are Mike Barry, Paul Motel and Peggy Vaughn for trustees, while Kerri Rolniak is the party’s candidate for village clerk.
https://daily-journal.com/news/local/gesky-tops-the-manteno-choice-party/article_b08ed798-a2da-11ef-8dfb-2f0c5fc7819b.html