6 file to run in Park Forest mayor’s race
Incumbents face challenges in other Southland contests
With Park Forest Mayor John Ostenburg not seeking a sixth term, six people, including two trustees, are vying to replace him in the spring, according to petition filings for next year’s municipal elections.
In Country Club Hills, firstterm Mayor James Ford faces a challenge, and in Dolton, 11 candidates have filed to run for three four-year seats.
Park Forest trusteesMae Brandon, a trustee since 2003, and Jonathan Vanderbilt, elected last year, have filed to succeed Ostenburg, along with JeRome Brown, Emma Cox, Renee Hawthorne and Sean Hightower.
Brown was elected a village trustee in 2013 but lost re-election in 2017. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor against Ostenburg in 2015.
Eight people had initially pulled petitions to circulate for the mayor’s position.
Running for three four-year seats as trustee areTrustee Tiffani Graham, Candyce Herron and JosephWoods.
First elected in 1999, Ostenburg recently announced hewould not run again in April. Last month, he was named executive board chairman for the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, with his term on the MMC ending when his cur- rent term as mayor ends.
Here is filing information for other south and southwest suburbs, provided by village and city clerks. In some instances, candidate petitions are being challenged, which could affect the final ballot that voterswill see.
Blue Island
Seeking four-year terms as aldermanin the city’s 1stWardare Annette Alexander and Antonio Clardy, while William Cazares is seeking to represent the 2nd Ward and Ald. Nancy Rita is seeking re-election in the 3rd Ward.
In the 4th Ward, current Ald. Bill Fahrenwald is seeking reelection and also running is Tony DiNovo. In the 5thWard, Johnny Ringo Hill, Gabriel McGee and Ollie Nathan Talbott Jr. are running for four-year terms andMike Mech is running for a two-year term.
In the 6th Ward, RaeAnn Cantelo-Zylman and Emanuel Michael Sklom are seeking fouryear terms on the City Council.
In the 7th Ward, Ald. Alecia Slattery filed petitions for a fouryear term alongwith AlexGomez and Allan Stevo. Filing to run for a two-year term in that ward was JimKIinker.
Country Club Hills
James Ford, elected in 2015 to succeed Dwight Welch, who’d been the city’smayor since 1987, is being challenged by Ald. Anthony Davis, 5th, who had been among
Ford’s challengers in the 2015 election. Also seeking the mayor’s job is Steven Heath.
Current city Clerk DeborahMcIlvain is challenging incumbent city Treasurer Argie Johnson- Martin, along with Steven Burris.
Filing for city clerk are CharlesDryer, ValeriaDunsmore, PatriciaHutson and Merlyn McNeal. No aldermen are up for re-election inApril.
A term limits referendum question had made Welch ineligible to seek re-election in 2015.
Crestwood
Current Trustees Patricia Theresa Flynn, Linda Madlener andKevinWasag are running for three fouryear terms, while Trustee MichaelMcInerney is running for an unexpired twoyear term
Dolton
A Feb. 26 primary will make the April 2 election a moot point, with 11 candidates, all filing as Democrats, for three trustee positions. With no independents or other parties filing, the primary winners are all but guaranteed to not face a challenge in the spring.
Incumbent Trustees DuaneMuhammad, Robert Pierson Jr. and Valeria Stubbs have filed for reelection. Others who have filed are Kevin Boens, Stanley “Stan” Brown, a former trustee, Tammie Brown, Alfred “A.J.” Burse, Andrew Holmes, Robert E. Hunt Jr., a former trustee, AlisonKey andEdward “Ed” Steav.
In theNovember general election, Dolton voters backed a referendum question that limits trustees to serving no more than two consecutive terms, but propositions to do away with the village’s primary election and reduce the number of trustees fromsix to four were narrowly defeated.
Frankfort
Adam Borrelli, the vil- lage clerk, is running for one of three trustee seats along with currentTrustee Robert J. Kennedy as well asMargaret M. Farina and Jessica Petrow. Trustees Cynthia Corso Heath and Mike Stevens did not file petitions for re-election.
HomerGlen
George Yukich filed to run for what will be his second and final term. Voters in a 2016 referendum question overwhelmingly backed a proposal to limit the mayor to no more than two four-year terms.
Running for village clerk is Christina NeitzkeTroike, a village trustee.
Filing to run for three trustee seats are current Clerk AnnHoltz and trustees Carlo Caprio and Beth Rodgers. Also seeking trustee seats are Michael Kartsounis and Ruben Pazmino.
Markham
Brenna HamptonHouser and Kenneth “Mojo” Muldrow are running for alderman in the city’s 1stWard. Ald. Ernest Blevins did not file paperwork seeking re-election, and another candidate filed but later withdrew.
Seeking to represent the 2nd Ward on the City Council are Perry Browley, Marion “Mel” Grott and Wanda Jean McDowell. Ald. Clifton Ford did not file petitions.
In the 3rd Ward, Ald. Rondal “Ron” Jones is being challenged by George Walton, and Ald. William Barron, 4th, is being challenged by Robert “Bob” DePolo.
Matteson
Running for three fouryear terms as trustee are Antoine Bass, Tharon Bradley, Robbie Craig, Johnny B. Dancy, Jr., Trustee Paula Farr, Ronald McCullough, Shawn Mitchell, VictorA. Phillips and Trustee Andre C. Satchell.
Running for two-year terms are Trustee Juanita M. Hardin and Johnny B. Dancy Jr.
Midlothian
Running for three fouryear terms as trustee are incumbent Trustees Sandra L. Crowley, Carl Ivan and Donald Killelea.
Mokena
Incumbent Trustees Joseph Budzyn, Deborah Engler and James Richmondare running for fouryear terms, while Trustee Jillian Hersted is running for a two-year seat. Clerk Melissa Martini is also seeking re-election.
NewLenox
MayorTimBaldermann filed to seek a fourth term while three trustee seats are up for election. Running are trustees David Butterfield, Douglas Finnegan and Keith Madsen, along with challenger Brian O’Leary.
Oak Forest
Ald. Laura Clemmons Gray, 1st, Ald. Diane Wolf, 3rd, Ald. Denise Danihel, 7th, and Taxpayer Advocate Guy Gatton are seeking re-election.
Oak Lawn
Incumbent trustees Tim Desmond, 1st, Bob Streit, 3rd, and William “Bud” Stalker, 5th, are seeking re-election. Paul Mallo is challenging Streit in the 3rdDistrict.
OrlandPark
Running for three fouryear trustee terms areMohanned ElNatour, William Healy, Devin Hodge, Cynthia Nelson Katsenes, Michael Milani, Kelly O’Brien and incumbent Trustee Carole Ruzich. Trustees Michael Carroll and Patricia Gira are not seeking re-election.
Palos Hills
Ald. Martin Kleefisch, 1st, is seeking re-election to a four-year term, and Georgia Fiotakis also is seeking to represent the ward. Ald. Michael Price, 1st, is running for an unexpired two-year term.
Ald. Pauline Stratton, 2nd, Ald. Michael Lebarre, 3rd, Ald. Joseph Marrotta III, 4th, and Ald. Dawn Nowak, 5th, are also seeking re-election to four-year terms. Running for an unexpired two-year term in the 5th Ward are Donna O’Connell and Artur Krasowski.
TinleyPark
Running for three fouryear trustee seats are William Brennan, Trustee John Curran, Christopher Cwik, Diane Galante, Brian Godlewski, Jeffrey Mech, and trustees Michael Pannitto and Brian Younker.