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Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct number of seats and candidates running for the St. Anne School District Board.
Before a single vote is counted locally, there is one thing known: There will be a changing of the guard in some key communities.
Decision day has arrived and Kankakee and Iroquois County voters will be asked to cast their ballots – if they haven’t already – regarding who will be leading numerous local offices.
There are several contested mayoral, city council, village board and school board positions up for grabs Tuesday.
Longtime mayors Paul Schore in Bourbonnais, Tim Nugent in Manteno and John Allhands in Watseka will not be on the municipal ballots, meaning there will be significant changes regarding local leadership.
Here is a look at what will be facing voters as they enter the voting booth Tuesday.
Manteno
Not only is the mayor’s position up for election, but so are three village trustee seats as well as the village clerk.
For mayor, longtime village board trustee Joel Gesky is running at the top of the Manteno Choice Party against lifelong resident Annette LaMore, who heads the Manteno Freedom Party.
Gesky is campaigning on all he has helped the village accomplish in the past 15 years or more, while LaMore’s platform focuses on transparency sparked by her party’s opposition to the Gotion plant.
Running for trustee on the Choice party are incumbent CJ Boudreau along with Annette Zimbelman and Sherri Crawford. Running on the Freedom party for trustee are Peggy Vaughn, Paul Motel and Mike Barry.
Running for village clerk on the Manteno Choice party is Stacy Malone, who will be facing Manteno Freedom candidate Kerri Rolniak.
Kankakee
Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis, a Republican, is seeking a second term as he is opposed by Democratic candidate Genevra Walters.
Walters should be a familiar name to those in Kankakee. She served as the Kankakee School District superintendent for 10 years, before retiring after the 2023-24 school year.
She later ran an unsuccessful campaign in the Democratic Party primary for 79th Illinois State Representative district, currently held by Republican State Rep. Jackie Haas.
Curtis served nine years as a Kankakee 6th Ward alderman before unseating first-term Democratic Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong in the April 2021 election.
There are no contested Kankakee aldermanic seats in Tuesday’s election.
Bourbonnais
Current trustee Jeff Keast, a Bourbonnais Citizens Party member, faces challenger David Zinanni of the People’s Choice Party in the mayoral election.
Zinanni is on the Board of Commissioners for the Bourbonnais Township Park District.
Keast defeated current mayor and fellow Bourbonnais Citizens Party member Paul Schore in the February primary election.
Schore has been mayor of Bourbonnais for 17 years.
Keast has two years remaining in his term as trustee.
Current trustees Bruce Greenlee, Rick Fischer and Angie Serafini, also members of the Bourbonnais Citizens Party, are each seeking reelection.
They are facing challenges from People’s Choice Party candidates Dondi Maricle, Lindsey Patterson and Mark Steelman.
Village Clerk Brian Simeur, of the Bourbonnais Citizens Party, is being challenged by Khamseo “Kym” Nelson, of the Bourbonnais People’s Choice Party.
Contested school board races
In Kankakee School District 111, six candidates are vying for four available four-year terms, including incumbents Jess C. Gathing Jr., Darrell Williams and Tracy Verret, as well as challengers Susan Lopez, Dajon Casiel and Reginald Bell.
An unexpired two-year term is up for grabs in District 111; Kathy Yancy Smith is seeking the seat, as well as write-in candidate Cynthia Veronda.
In Bourbonnais Elementary School District 53, six candidates are vying for four available four-year terms, including incumbents Stephan Moulton, Erika Young, Besty Keller and Jamie Freedlund, as well as two challengers, Kevin Haberzetle and Fredda Rodewald.
In Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School District 307, six candidates are vying for three four-year terms, including incumbents Jim Patterson, Ann L. Brezinski and Sally Martell, as well as challengers Chris Borchardt, Mark Parson and David Schumer.
In St. Anne Unit District 24, two candidates are vying for one four-year term, including incumbent Louie Farber and challenger Samanthia Baines.
Additionally, two write-in candidates are running for an unexpired two-year term on the St. Anne School Board, including Mark A. Hodge and Tanya Duncan.
In Manteno Community Unit School District 5, three candidates are vying for two four-year terms, including incumbents Jim Hanley and Joshua Stauffenberg and challenger Mary C. Crow.