2025 suburban Chicago elections: Dodge wins in Orland Park, Biss wins another term in Evanston
Voters in Chicago's suburbs cast their ballots for mayors, village presidents, trustees, school boards, and more Tuesday, and elected some new faces to city and village halls.
- Cook County election results
- DeKalb County election results
- DuPage County election results
- Grundy County election results
- Kane County election results
- Kendall County election results
- Lake County election results
- LaSalle County election results
- McHenry County election results
- Will County election results
In Orland Park, challenger Jim Dodge declared victory over incumbent Keith Pekau Tuesday night.
Dodge is a former village trustee and city clerk for Orland Park and a consultant. He ran under the Orland Park for All party, campaigning on a promise of better financial management in the city.
Pekau, who is also an Air Force veteran and small business owner, has been mayor for two terms running on his "People Over Politics" party.
Dodge had 57% of the vote compared with 43% for Pekau with all but two precincts reporting.
"This victory is not just about the vote," Dodge said in a news release. "It's about the people who have dedicated their time, energy, and hopes into making Orland Park a vibrant and welcoming place for all. I am deeply grateful for your trust and overwhelming support."
Dodge and Pekau are both Republicans. The race between them was aggressive and nasty.
Dodge was backed by labor unions, while Pekau is very active in Republican causes — most notably with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the Trump administration.
Pekau ran for Congress last cycle, but lost to Democrat Sean Casten.
In Evanston, Democratic Mayor Daniel Biss won a second term. He issued a statement Tuesday night saying challenger Jeff Boarini had called him to concede the race.
"This was a campaign that was powered by people who decided they wanted to be part of a positive vision about what we can accomplish together as a community," Biss said in the statement.
Biss has been tested in several high-profile moments — supporting both the city's approach to the reparations for Black residents and the hotly contested new stadium for Northwestern University.
Challenger Boarini has lived in Evanston for 35 years. Boarini says he is focused on better using the "wealth of talent" living in Evanston.
Biss received about 62% of the vote.
In Aurora, challenger John Laesch defeated sitting Mayor Richard Irvin Tuesday night. Laesch won with 53% of the vote to 46% for Irvin.
Laesch, an Aurora alderman, also ran against two-term Mayor Irvin in 2021. With all four counties that Aurora falls into reporting, though not all ballots, Laesch was ahead with 53% of the vote to 46% for Irvin.
There is no love lost between Irvin and Laesch. Irvin said the city is stable financially and its schools and safety overall are on the rise, but Laesch loudly called Irvin out for what he says are major civility and ethical issues, including pay-to-play schemes where donors are awarded big city contracts.
Irvin denied that, and says contractors are allowed to donate.
Laesch said he wants to lower debt in the city; invest in green energy; and improve street lights, curbs and water lines.
Meanwhile, Dolton Village Trustee Jason House was elected mayor of that south Chicago suburb Tuesday, and the sign outside Dolton Village Hall announcing Mayor Tiffany Henyard will soon come down.
House won the race with more than 95% of the vote, up against Rebuilding Dolton Party candidate Casundra Hopson-Jordan. House dispatched Henyard in the February Democratic mayoral primary.
Incumbent Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard lost in the February primary in Dolton amid multiple scandals – including a federal investigation and allegations of financial mismanagement.
In northwest suburban Arlington Heights, three-term Mayor Tom Hayes did not run for a fourth term. Instead, voters picked village trustee Jim Tinaglia over Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce executive director Jon Ridler and village trustee Tom Schwingbeck.
With all 52 precincts reporting, Tinaglia had 55% of the vote.
All three candidates were focused on trying to get the Chicago Bears to build their new stadium at the old Arlington Park racetrack site, as long any stadium deal benefits the city.
Tinaglia wants the Bears to move to Arlington Heights, but is concerned about traffic flows and strains on village staffing.
In Waukegan, the current mayor, Independent Ann Taylor, appears to have lost to Democratic challenger and former Waukegan mayor Sam Cunningham. It was a four-way race that Cunningham appears to have won by over 10 points.
Independent Ald. Keith Turner of the city's 6th Ward, and Republican former Ald. Harold Beadling, who represented the 4th Ward, were also running for mayor in Waukegan.
Cunningham served as Waukegan mayor previously until 2021.
