5 candidates filed to run for Will County sheriff in 2026, in a race to interchange retiring longtime Sheriff Mike Kelley, whereas all however one incumbent serving on the Will County Board filed for reelection earlier than Monday’s deadline.
The first election is March 17 and can decide who can be on the November poll.
Countywide workplaces on the poll embrace Will County sheriff, clerk, treasurer and the regional superintendent of faculties.
Eight out of the 11 districts for the Will County Board are up for reelection. Every district has two representatives, and management of the board, which has been evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, is at stake. 4 of these districts may have primaries in March.
Countywide races
For sheriff, Deputy Chief Dan Jungles and Sgt. Patrick Jones can be on the Democratic main poll whereas Justin Fialko, James “Jim” Reilly and Brian Conser will run within the Republican main.
Reilly, a Will County sheriff’s police deputy, misplaced 4 years in the past in a bid to defeat Kelley.
Jungles has been with the division since 1999 and has been deputy chief since 2017 overseeing all particular operations and investigations items inside the workplace. Jones can also be a longtime worker, working for twenty-four years in corrections, patrol division, crime scene investigation and disaster negotiations, amongst different roles.
Reilly has greater than 22 years of expertise with the division and holds a doctoral diploma in legal justice, writing his dissertation on group policing. Conser, a 30 12 months veteran of the division, is the undersheriff. Conser can also be a U.S. Air Drive veteran. Fialko, a deputy, is a former corrections officer at Stateville Correctional Heart.
For treasurer, incumbent Democrat Tim Brophy, who has held the place since 2018, doesn’t face a main problem. Two candidates filed on the Republican facet, Raj “Pi” Pillai and Carmen Maurella III.
Pillai, an authorized public accountant who’s energetic with the Will County Veterans Help Fee, misplaced 4 years in the past to Brophy. Maurella is an accountant, the Homer Township assessor and a previous village supervisor for Homer Glen.
Neither the county clerk nor the regional superintendent of faculties races may have a main since just one candidate per occasion has filed.
The clerk’s race subsequent November will function a rematch from 2024 with Republican Annette Parker, the incumbent and a former Will County board member, searching for reelection over Democrat Michelle Smith, the director of Will County Workforce Providers and secretary of the Joliet Township Excessive Faculty District 204 board.
These two candidates ran in 2024 for a two-year time period after the resignation of Lauren Staley Ferry.
Incumbent Republican Elizabeth Caparelli-Ruff will search a second time period for regional superintendent of faculties. She is challenged in November by Democratic candidate Theresa Rouse, the superintendent of Joliet Public Faculties District 86.
County board races
Sixteen seats out of twenty-two are up for election and will have an effect on the political leanings of the board, which is evenly divided at 11 Republicans and 11 Democrats. County Govt Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat who was reelected final 12 months, is the tie-breaker.
Solely Bolingbrook Democrat Elnalyn Costa opted to not file for reelection.
Major races can be held in Districts 2, 4, 5 and 11 since greater than two candidates filed for the seats.
Within the 2nd District, which incorporates jap Will County and areas of New Lenox, Frankfort and Manhattan, Republican incumbents Judy Ogalla, of Monee, and Frankie Pretzel, of New Lenox, are challenged by Neil “Muggsy” Gallagher.
The highest two vote-getters will face Democrat Bob Howard in November, who ran and misplaced in 2022. Howard is a former Washington Township supervisor and county board member.
Within the 4th District, which incorporates areas of Homer Glen, Mokena, Orland Park and Tinley Park, incumbents Steve Balich, of Homer Glen, and James Richmond, of Mokena, filed for reelection. They’re challenged within the Republican main by Michael Lepore, a Homer Glen trustee, and Pawel J. Tyrala.
Balich, a former Homer Township supervisor, has been on the county board since 2012, and Richmond, a former Mokena trustee, is the board’s present Republican chief.
On the Democratic facet, three candidates filed for the 4th District, together with William Pratt, Sheri Boniecki-Cooling and Kevin Koukol. Boniecki-Cooling ran in 2022 whereas Koukol was a candidate for Homer Glen trustee earlier this 12 months.
In District 5, which incorporates areas of Crest Hill, Lockport and New Lenox, three candidates filed for 2 spots within the Republican main, together with incumbent David G. Oxley of Lockport, appointed final 12 months to fill the emptiness when Parker was elected clerk. Different Republican candidates are James “JJ” Balonek and David Palya, Lockport’s metropolis treasurer.
The highest two vote-getters will face Democratic candidates Karen Johnson and Sherry Williams. Williams, of Crest Hill, is the board’s Democratic chief.
Within the eleventh District, which incorporates the Bolingbrook space, incumbent Democrat Jacqueline L. Traynere face challenges by Tyler Giacalone, Sheldon L. Watts and Barbara Ann Parker within the March 17 main. The highest two vote-getters will face Republican Steven Smith, the one Republican to file.
A number of districts won’t have primaries.
In District 1, Democrat Joe VanDuyne, the speaker of the Will County Board from Wilmington, has filed for reelection and can face Republicans Katie Deane-Schlottman, an incumbent from Joliet, and Debbie Militello.
In District 3, incumbent Daniel Butler of Frankfort filed for reelection within the Republican main. Democrats who filed are Sherry Newquist, an incumbent from Steger, and Marc McKirdie.
In District 8, incumbent Mark V. Revis of Plainfield will run within the Republican main. Democrats submitting are incumbent Mica Freeman of Plainfield and Michael Crowner.
In District 9, incumbent Raquel M. Mitchell of Bolingbrook will run within the Republican main and face incumbent Democrat Destinee Ortiz of Romeoville in addition to Democrat Alex Zapien, the Lockport Township supervisor, in November.
A lottery to find out poll positions can be held Nov. 12.
Michelle Mullins is a contract reporter.
