2 Spring Valley races too close to call

A pair of Spring Valley aldermanic races ended up close Tuesday.

Jeff Chiaventone, who worked for the street and water department for 32 years, garnered 94 votes and Jennifer Diaz 87 votes in the 2nd Ward race, according to unofficial results. Diaz was appointed to the Spring Valley City Council in July 2021 after Fred West resigned. Diaz was a Spring Valley Elementary School Board member from 2019 to 2021 and also served on the Spring Valley Park Board from 2017 to 2021.

Charles “CJ” VanSchaick registered 92 votes to Ed Jauch’s 78 votes in the 1st Ward race, according to unofficial results. Jauch has been on the City Council for four years. VanSchaick has been on the Spring Valley Elementary Board of Education for seven years and spent many years on the Spring Valley Park Board.

Results won’t be certified across the state until two weeks after Tuesday. Some mail-in ballots also will likely be counted after Tuesday and will count as long as they’re postmarked by April 4. In many local races, results can be decided by a handful of votes, so it’s important for residents to remember that Tuesday’s polling numbers might not show the final picture yet, officials said.