Democrat incumbent Pamela Driscoll (L) is facing a challenge from Republican Jody Benson (R) in Lemont 210 School District. | Lemont 210/The Lemont Four
Democrat incumbent Pamela Driscoll (L) is facing a challenge from Republican Jody Benson (R) in Lemont 210 School District. | Lemont 210/The Lemont Four
There are ten competitive school board races in southwest suburban Cook County, according to an analysis of candidate filings by South Cook News.
Of the ten school boards, six currently have Democrat majorities, according to an analysis of elected official primary voting history.
All told-- 57 candidates are running for 36 open seats across the ten districts, including 27 incumbents.
That includes 28 Democrats and 19 Republicans.
In Lemont 210, four challengers dubbing themselves "The Lemont Four" -- Edward McManus, Noal Staubus, Jody Benson and Lisa Buczyna-- are challenging four incumbents.
The incumbents-- three Democrats and a Republican-- support the teaching of so-called Marxist "Critical Race Theory" as well as "transgender" ideology, which argues biological sex does not exist, to Lemont H.S. students.
Of the 70 current school board slots in the ten competitive districts, 37 are held by Democrats, 30 by Republicans and three by an independent.
Election Day is Tues. April 4.
-----
Which 2023 school board races are competitive in SW Cook County?
Ten school board races are in the balance on April 4.
School Board | Current Split | Seats Up | Inc. Running | total | DEM | GOP | Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lemont HSD 210 | 4-3 DEMOCRAT | 4 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Burbank SD 111 | 3-3-1 TIE | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
Oak Lawn-Hometown SD 123 | 4-3 DEMOCRAT | 4 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
Orland SD 135 | 4-3 REPUBLICAN | 4 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Kirby SD 140 | 5-2 DEMOCRAT | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Argo CHSD 217 | 5-1 DEMOCRAT | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Forest Ridge SD 142 | 3-3-1 TIE | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
North Palos SD 117 | 5-1-1 DEMOCRAT | 6 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Palos Heights SD 128 | 5-2 DEMOCRAT | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
TOTALS |
| 36 | 27 | 57 | 28 | 19 | 8 |
Lemont 210 |
|
|
|
|
Current Split | 4-3 | DEMOCRAT |
|
Seats up | 4 |
|
|
Candidates running | 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 Candidates | Party | Hometown | Age |
Pamela M. Driscoll (I) | D | Lemont | 66 |
Gary D. Gray (I) | D | Lemont | 62 |
Renee L. Koehler (I) | R | Lemont | 57 |
Beverly A. Marzec (I) | D | Lemont | 77 |
Edward McManus | R | Woodridge | 53 |
Noal Staubus | NV | Woodridge | 55 |
Jody L. Benson | R | Lemont | 44 |
Lisa E. Buczyna | R | Lemont | 45 |
|
|
|
|
Existing Board Members | Party | Hometown | Age |
Kurt Korte | D | Lemont | 58 |
Mike Kardas | R | Lemont | 64 |
Lynn Antonopoulos | R | Lemont | 54 |
|
|
|
|
Burbank SD 111 |
|
|
|
|
Current Split | 3-3-1 | TIE |
|
Seats up | 4 |
|
|
Candidates running | 7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 Candidates | Party | Hometown | Age |
Jessica R. Thomas (I) | D | Burbank | 31 |
Thomas M. Jansen (I) | D | Burbank | 69 |
Tricia M. Ponicki (I) | NV | Burbank | 48 |
Marissa Swistowicz | D | Burbank | 39 |
Laura Thurman | D | Burbank | 35 |
Gabriel J. Garcia | D | Burbank | 50 |
Griselda Aguinaga | D | Burbank | 44 |
|
|
|
|
Existing Board Members |
|
|
|
Jim "Stash" Stefanek | R | Burbank | 46 |
Agnieszka Dabrowski | R | Burbank | 51 |
Michael Atilano | D | Burbank | 47 |
Peter Terrazzino | R | Burbank | 58 |
|
|
|
|
Oak Lawn-Hometown SD 123 |
|
|
|
|
Current Split | 4-3 | DEMOCRAT |
|
Seats up | 4 |
|
|
Candidates running | 7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 Candidates | Party | Hometown | Age |
Julie Misner (I) | R | Oak Lawn | 56 |
Jennifer L. Fortier (I) | R | Oak Lawn | 43 |
Adriana Sebek (I) | D | Oak Lawn | 44 |
Danielle R. Mobley | D | Oak Lawn | 34 |
Natasha Miller-Williams | D | Oak Lawn | 44 |
Kifaya Naser-Hammad | D | Oak Lawn | 41 |
Ed Smykowski | D | Oak Lawn | 45 |
|
|
|
|
Existing Board Members | Party | Hometown | Age |
Brian C. Nichols | D | Oak Lawn | 47 |
Jay M. Lurquin | R | Oak Lawn | 59 |
Peter DeRousse | D | Oak Lawn | 51 |
Jackie A. Lichter | D | Oak Lawn | 48 |
|
|
|
|
Orland SD 135 |
|
|
|
|
Current Split | 4-3 | REPUBLICAN |
|
Seats up | 4 |
|
|
Candidates running | 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 Candidates | Party | Hometown | Age |
Linda Peckham-Dodge (I) | R | Orland Park | 63 |
Dahoud A. "Dave" Shalabi (I) | D | Orland Park | 43 |
Tara Hardek Schrieber | R | Orland Park | 45 |
Alan L. Kastengren | D | Orland Park | 42 |
Patricia Thanos | R | Orland Park | 50 |
Ryan J. Valan | R | Orland Park | 42 |
Iwona Piwowarczyk | R | Orland Park | 39 |
Francis Lattyak | D | Orland Park | 38 |
|
|
|
|
Existing Board Members | Party | Hometown | Age |
Nichole Browner | D | Orland Park | 39 |
James J. Bax | R | Orland Park | 48 |
Elizabeth P. Jobb | R | Orland Park | 46 |
Jennifer L. Tutor | R | Orland Park | 47 |
|
|
|
|
Kirby SD 140 |
|
|
|
|
Current Split | 5-2 | DEMOCRAT |
|
Seats up | 3 |
|
|
Candidates running | 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 Candidates | Party | Hometown | Age |
Lisa Strand (I) | D | Tinley Park | 42 |
Chuck Augustyniak (I) | R | Tinley Park | 65 |
John T. Lutz (I) | R | Tinley Park | 75 |
Andrew J. Boblak | NV | Tinley Park | 73 |
Tiana Pequette | NV | Tinley Park | 43 |
|
|
|
|
Existing Board Members | Party | Hometown | Age |
Thomas J. Martelli | D | Tinley Park | 63 |
Carol DeMicheal | D | Tinley Park | 66 |
Aileen Mullee-DiTuri | D | Tinley Park | 40 |
Lucy Shalash | D | Tinley Park | 50 |
|
|
|
|
Argo CHSD 217 |
|
|
|
|
Current Split | 5-1 | DEMOCRAT |
|
Seats up | 4 |
|
|
Candidates running | 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 Candidates | Party | Hometown | Age |
Daniel A. Kozal (I) | D | Summit | 50 |
Jennifer M. Grenier (I) | D | Bridgeview | 42 |
Diane R. Ponce (I) | D | Summit | 51 |
Ramanda Bond | D | Summit | 31 |
Catherine F. Jozwiak | D | Justice | 51 |
|
|
|
|
Existing Board Members | Party | Hometown | Age |
William A. Parra, Jr. | R | Bridgeview | 77 |
Luz Elena Rangel Raymond | D | Bridgeview | 42 |
Rhonda Ellen Regep-Hyde | D | Bridgeview | 53 |
|
|
|
|
*Board currently only has six members
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forest Ridge SD 142 |
|
|
|
|
Current Split | 3-3-1 | TIE |
|
Seats up | 4 |
|
|
Candidates running | 6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 Candidates- 4 year | Party | Hometown | Age |
Matthew Beasland | D | Oak Forest | 40 |
Amanda Noha-Smith (I) | NV | Midlothian | 39 |
Nancy Hullinger (I) | R | Oak Forest | 68 |
Ryan R. Welbourn (I) | R | Oak Forest | 35 |
|
|
|
|
2023 Candidates- 4 year | Party | Hometown | Age |
Karla M. Senesac (I) | D | Oak Forest | 48 |
Nichole Lies | NV | Oak Forest | 40 |
|
|
|
|
Existing Board Members | Party | Hometown | Age |
Karen Connelly | D | Midlothian | 48 |
Sarah Doff | D | Oak Forest | 41 |
Rebekah Mensing | R | Oak Forest | 45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North Palos SD 117 |
|
|
|
|
Current Split | 5-1-1 | DEMOCRAT |
|
Seats up | 6 |
|
|
Candidates running | 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 Candidates | Party | Hometown | Age |
Lauren Potokar (I) | NV | Hickory Hills | 41 |
Bobby Greene (I) | D | Palos Hills | 44 |
Debbie Chafee (I) | R | Hickory Hills | 49 |
Anna Biedrzycki | R | Palos Hills | 37 |
Sandy K. Szczgiel | R | Palos Hills | 39 |
|
|
|
|
Existing Board Members | Party | Hometown | Age |
Ronald F. Moran | D | Hickory Hills | 53 |
Debbie Groark | D | Hickory Hills | 58 |
Shwkar Abousweilem | D | Bridgeview | 44 |
Tom Kostes | D | Hickory Hills | 85 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Palos Heights SD 128 |
|
|
|
|
Current Split | 5-2 | DEMOCRAT |
|
Seats up | 3 |
|
|
Candidates running | 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 Candidates | Party | Hometown | Age |
Kathy Lachowicz (I) | D | Palos Heights | 67 |
Patti Powell (I) | R | Palos Heights | 69 |
Gail Rubio (I) | D | Palos Heights | 41 |
Joe Young | NV | Palos Heights | 42 |
|
|
|
|
Existing Board Members | Party | Hometown | Age |
Richard N. Facko | D | Palos Heights | 38 |
William Grady | D | Palos Heights | 49 |
Amy Lyons | D | Palos Heights | 49 |
Kristin Restivo | R | Palos Heights | 41 |