Ethan Hastert running for Elburn board

He won't exactly have a chance to repeal President Barack Obama's health care changes, and any financial deficits won't number in the trillions of dollars, but Ethan Hastert is a candidate once again.

Hastert is the son of former Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert. He filed Monday as a candidate for the Elburn village board. Ethan Hastert was most recently a candidate in the Republican primary in the 14th Congressional District against eventual winner Randy Hultgren.

Hastert could not be immediately reached for comment Monday evening.

Hastert isn't a sure thing even in his local race. He's one of four candidates vying for three seats, according to the final list of names distributed by the village Monday evening. David Gualdoni, Richard C. Garcia and incumbent William C. Grabarek are the other candidates. Audrey Symowicz was listed in an earlier count of candidates filed. Village officials could not be reached late Monday to confirm if Symowicz had withdrawn.

Hastert won't be the only local politician with a contest. In all, seven area municipalities will see at least one contested race, including all of the Tri-Cities and a couple of their closest neighbors.

St. Charles

St. Charles has one of the largest pools of candidates. All five wards have at least one seat up for re-election. The Fifth Ward has two seats open because of the early resignation of David Richards.

Appointee Maureen Lewis faces former city employee Kim Malay and former mayoral candidate Jotham Stein. Ed Bessner, the other 5th Ward alderman, and Dan Stellato, the incumbent 1st Ward alderman, automatically win new terms as they have no challengers. The 2nd Ward has two candidates: former Alderman Art Lemke and Rita Anne Payleitner.

The Third Ward has the most competition with three challengers and no incumbent. L. Michael Henriksen, Vanessa Bell-LaSota and Raymond P. Rogina all seek the seat. Longtime incumbent Alderman Jim Martin has a challenger for the Fourth Ward seat in the form of Steven Gaugel.

Batavia

A three-way race is taking shape for the 4th Ward seat on the Batavia City Council that will be vacated next spring by Tom Schmitz.

Susan Stark, Edward Tousana and Jamie Saam will square off in the April election for the 4-year term.

Stark, a sales account manager who has lived in the city for 11 years, said service on the council would be a natural extension of her appointment to the city's Historic Preservation Committee and doing what's best for Batavia.

She said she advocated fiscal responsibility and wants to help development in the downtown area. “Batavia has a real potential for a rebirth,” Stark said.

Saam has lived in Batavia for 17 years and manages a downtown restaurant. She also has volunteered for Art In Your Eye and Batavia Main Street and wants to bring a new perspective. “There's so much potential to it, but it needs to be looked at. It needs a fresh look,” Saam said.

Tousana, a retired U.S. Postal Service manager, has lived in the city since 1968 and says one goal would be for the city to annex the part of the Mooseheart open land for future growth.

“My interest has always been in civic and social matters, and (I) have always felt if you want to be part of a solution you cannot be a spectator,” Tousana said.

In other filings, incumbents are running unopposed for their 4-year seats: Garren Sparks in Ward 1, Alan Wolff in Ward 2, Dan Chanzit in Ward 3, Lucy Thelin Atac in Ward 5, Lisa Clark in Ward 6, and David Brown in Ward 7. Janet Jungeis, who was appointed to fill the vacancy created when Alderman Linnea Miller died, is running unopposed for the remaining two years of Miller's term.

Geneva

The Geneva City Council will have at least one new member after the April election, but it could have more than that.

Ray Pawlak is not running again in the 3rd Ward and Dean Kilburg, former president of the Geneva school board, and Becky Hruby, are vying for a 4-year term.

In the 1st Ward, incumbent Charles Brown faces two challengers: Geneva Library Board President Esther Barclay and Zachary Ploppert.

Incumbent Robert Piper is running unopposed for 2nd Ward, as are incumbents Dorothy Flanagan in the 4th Ward and Craig Maladra in the 5th Ward.

Sugar Grove

Sugar Grove has three open seats, including the position vacated by Melisa Taylor when she won a spot on the Kane County Board in November. Vying for the seats are Mark Buschbacher, incumbent Kevin. M. Geary, incumbent Mari Johnson and David Paluch.

North Aurora

North Aurora residents have long known they'll have a contested race as six candidates filed back in November for three seats. The candidates are Laura Curtis, Mark Guethle, Robert Strusz, Ronald Lau, Christopher Sparks and Ryan Lambert.

Maple Park

The village of Maple Park could see President Kathy Curtis taking a more active role next spring.

Curtis could be charged with naming two people to be appointed to two 4-year trustee seats. Three seats are up for election in April, but only incumbent Trustee Patricia Lunardon filed to run again, meaning Mark Delaney and Nick Moisa would end their tenures on the board.

Village Clerk Claudia Tremaine said Curtis would be charged with the appointments, which must be OK'd by the village board.

Wayne

Eileen Phipps is poised to extend her tenure as Wayne village president.

Wayne Village Clerk Patti Engstrom said no one filed to run against longtime President Phipps this spring, but four people will square off for three 4-year trustee terms in April.

Incumbents Pete Connolly, Rob Reed and Ed Hull all will seek a 4-year term, as will challenger Scott Coryell.

Mike Anastasio is running unopposed for a 2-year term.

Campton Hills

There are five seats up for election in the village of Campton Hills — including that of President Patsy Smith.

After a contentious election several years ago when the village was incorporated, the spring 2011 ballot seems cut and dried except for the village president's seat.

Smith is running for another 4-year term, and she will be opposed by Kristin Ann LaBlanco, who filed papers late Mondasy. Incumbent Trustees Laura Andersen, Jim Kopec, Susan George and Village Clerk Carolyn Higgins all are unopposed.

South Elgin

All three incumbents on the South Elgin village board are seeking re-election in April. Lisa Guess, Steve Ward and Mike Kolodziej all handed in their candidate petitions Dec. 13, the first day of filing, and no challengers filed since.