Chicago-area voters in several communities are heading to the polls on Tuesday in primary elections to help determine which candidates will advance to the April election.
Voters in Cook County and several other area counties will cast ballots in local elections, with numerous incumbent candidates facing challenges from within their own parties on Tuesday night.
The consolidated elections will be held on Tuesday, April 1, and many more communities will join in voting on that date.
Here are some of the races to keep an eye on Tuesday night.
Dolton Mayor
Incumbent Mayor Tiffany Henyard is seeking a second term in office, and will face Trustee Jason House in the Democratic primary on Tuesday night.
Henyard’s tenure has been marked by controversy and a variety of investigations into her actions, but she has remained consistent in seeking out a second term and has expressed optimism that she will triumph.
Local
House is a former ally of the mayor’s, but has since moved into an opposition role in city government, pledging to be more transparent and to focus on eliminating wasteful spending if elected to office.
"We have seen four years of failure, and we cannot continue down this path," he said. "We want to make sure we can change the narrative and show people what this community is really made of."
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The winner of the primary will face independent candidate Casundra Hopson in the April 1 consolidated election.
Voters can track the results of Tuesday's election on the Cook County Clerk's website.
Aurora Mayor
There are six candidates on the ballot in a nonpartisan primary for the mayorship in suburban Aurora, with incumbent Mayor Richard Irvin running for a third term in office.
Irvin was first elected mayor in April 2017, and was reelected in 2021 with 56% of the vote, according to his campaign website.
He launched a run for the Republican nomination for governor in the 2022 primary election, but was defeated by former State Sen. Darren Bailey in that race.
Irvin will face John Laesch, Ted Mesiacos, Karina Garcia, and Judd Lofchie in the primary. Jazmine Garcia, whose name is on the primary ballot, dropped out of the race and endorsed Laesch.
The top-two vote-getters will square off in the April 1 consolidated election.
Voters in DuPage County, Kane County and Will County can find their respective county's voting results in this primary at the three hyperlinks above.
Other Races of Note:
Cook County
Incumbent Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones is facing a Democratic primary challenge from Ald. James Patton, who represents the city’s sixth ward.
In Lynwood, President Jada Curry is also facing a primary challenge from Dr. Detonya Armstrong, who is running for office for the first time.
Mayor Lawrence Jackson is running for reelection as president of the village of Riverdale, facing off against Dr. Michael Airhart, who has pledged to advocate for increased opportunities for underserved and underprivileged communities, according to his campaign website.
Berwyn Mayor Robert Lovero is in a three-way primary for his seat, with Ralph Avila and Alicia Maria Ruiz running against him in the nonpartisan primary.
Cicero President Larry Dominick is facing a primary challenge from Esteban Rodriguez, who has worked for multiple nonprofits and specializes in community outreach, according to his campaign website.
Cook County races can be tracked on the county clerk's website.
DuPage County
There will be a Democratic primary in Lisle Township for trustee, with eight candidates vying for four spots on the April ballot.
DuPage County results can be found here.
Kankakee County
A mayoral primary in Bourbonnais will pit incumbent Mayor Paul Schore against Trustee Jeff Keast in the Bourbonnais Citizens Party primary.
The winner of that primary will face Dave Zinnani in the consolidated election on April 1. Zinnani currently serves as the board president for the Bourbonnais Township Park District.
Kankakee County results will be posted here.
Lake County
In Waukegan, former Mayor Sam Cunningham is seeking the Democratic nomination to reclaim his old job, and he is facing off against Miguel Rivera Sr.
The winner will face former Ald. Harold Beadling, who is running unopposed in the Republican primary.
Incumbent North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. is facing a primary challenge from Ald. Kenneth Smith, who represents the city’s fifth ward. The winner of that race will face independent Ald. Anthony Coleman and independent candidate David Hood in the April 1 consolidated election.
Smith’s challenge has left an opening for a primary for the fifth ward seat, with Tabitha Wray, Jerry Gray and Kingston Neal running for that spot.
Lake County election results can be tracked here.
Will County
Incumbent Homer Township Supervisor Stephen Balich is facing a Republican primary challenge from Susanna Steilen in the Feb. 25 primary.
Homer Township voters will also cast ballots in primaries for highway commissioner, township collector, township clerk and township trustee.
Will County voters can track results here.
