South Cook News

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.

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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