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All seats on the Will County Board will be on the ballot in this year’s election.
This occurs during the election after the reapportionment of board districts with the use of the latest census data.
The board is the legislative body for county government and votes on the budget for the various county departments. Over the past two years, the board has been working on a plan to distribute more than $133 million in federal pandemic relief and has overseen multiple large capital improvement projects.
The sitting Democratic majority on the board has pushed through a new map with two fewer districts than the existing map, over the objection of Republican members. The change also will reduce the number of board members from 26 to 22 when the new group is sworn in next December.
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Of the 26 sitting board members, only 16 filed to run this year. A few prominent members, including Speaker Mimi Cowan, D-Naperville, and Minority Leader Mike Fricilone, R-Homer Glen, will not run for reelection.
The other members not running include Amanda Koch, D-Frankfort; Gretchen Fritz, R-Plainfield; Don Gould, R-Shorewood; Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet; Tyler Marcum, D-Joliet; Tom Weigel, R-New Lenox; Debbie Kraulidis, R-Joliet; and Jim Moustis, R-Frankfort, who has served on the board since 1992.
Fritz is running for Will County clerk. Ventura is running for an Illinois Senate seat.
In each district, the two candidates receiving the most votes in each party’s primary race will advance to the general election. Up to four total candidates for each district can advance to the general election.
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Here’s a look at those who filed to run in each district:
District 1
Incumbent Joe VanDuyne, D-Wilmington, filed to run for reelection as the only Democratic candidate.
Three Republicans – Jerry Bene, Tina McGrath and Katie Deane-Schlottman – have filed to run in the GOP primary.
The district includes the most southwestern portion of the county and stretches into parts of Joliet.
District 2
Incumbents Judy Ogalla, R-Monee, and Frankie Pretzel, R-New Lenox, join a crowded Republican field that also includes Robert Hendrick and Hillary “Mattsey” Kurzawa.
Bob Howard was the only Democratic candidate who filed.
The district stretches from the most southeastern part of the county up through Manhattan and into part of the Lincoln-Way area.
District 3
Two Democrats, incumbent Sherry Newquist, D-Steger, and Michael Flanagan filed to run, as well as two Republicans, Daniel Butler and George Macias.
This district runs from the Crete and Steger area in eastern Will County to the Frankfort area.
District 4
Incumbent Stephen Balich, R-Orland Park, and fellow Republican Anthony Granata are running as a ticket in the GOP primary field that also includes David Molinari and James Richmond.
Sheri Boniecki-Cooling and Andrew Englebrecht are the two Democratic candidates who filed.
This district includes the northeastern part of the county, including Homer Glen and the surrounding area east of Interstate 355.
District 5
Annettee Parker, R-Crest Hill, is the sole incumbent in the GOP primary, which also includes Philip Juarez.
Democrats Scott Pointon, Sherry Williams and Dionne Wright are the Democrats who filed to run.
District 5 includes parts of Crest Hill, Lockport and New Lenox.
District 6
Incumbents Herbert Brooks Jr., D-Joliet, and Denise Winfrey, D-Joliet, are being challenged by Janet Diaz and Jazmin Martinez in the Democratic primary.
No Republicans filed to run in this district, which includes much of Joliet.
District 7
Incumbent Natalie Coleman, D-Plainfield, and Brian Bessler are running in the Democratic primary race.
Two Republicans, Vince Logan and Glenda Wright-McCullum filed to run in the GOP primary.
This district includes parts of the west side of Joliet and Crest Hill.
District 8
Incumbent Mica Freeman, D-Plainfield, was the only Democratic candidate to file in this district.
Two Republicans, Nicky Giannasi and Mark Revis, are running in the GOP primary.
District 8 includes much of Plainfield.
District 9
Incumbent Raquel Mitchell, R-Bolingbrook, was the only Republican to file in this district.
Margaret Tyson, D-Bolingbrook, filed for reelection in the Democratic primary. Kevin “Kollins” Hedemark and Destinee Ortiz also filed to run as Democrats.
This district includes much of Romeoville and parts of Bolingbrook.
District 10
Meta Mueller, D-Aurora, who serves as the board’s majority leader, filed to run for reelection in the Democratic field, which also includes Khadija “DJ” Sufi.
Incumbent Julie Berkowicz, R-Naperville, also filed to run for reelection, as did Vasavi Chakka, in the GOP race.
District 10 includes the northwestern portion of the county, spanning parts of Aurora and Naperville.
District 11
Incumbent Jackie Traynere, D-Bolingbrook, filed to run for reelection in a crowded Democratic field that includes Elnalyn Costa, Daryl Parks and Saud Gazanfer, who recently was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy.
Two Republicans also filed, Larry Alexander Shaver and Antonio Timothee.
The district includes much of Bolingbrook.