Wilmette Life

Preckwinkle launches bid for re-election as Cook County Board president

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:32:02 -0500

If re-elected, she’ll focus on public safety and health care, Preckwinkle, 66, said Tuesday night at a a fund-raising event at the Chicago Cultural Center. “We’re working towards the sustainability of our health-care system, and we still have some critical challenges to address in public safety, in particular in reducing the number of nonviolent offenders who are pretrial detainees in our jail,” Preckwinkle said.

Wilmette Park Board, D.39 see old, new faces

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:11:03 -0500

Wilmette voters who cast ballots Tuesday in the contested Wilmette Park District election retained one incumbent, brought two newcomers to the board and voted one incumbent commissioner out. Voters also re-elected all three incumbent members of the Wilmette District 39 school board, and the one newcomer who ran with their slate. By 9 p.m. Tuesday, incumbent Park Board Commissioner John Olvany had won a new four-year term on the board. With 22 of 23 precincts reporting, he had 1,790 votes. Newcomers Bryan Abbott and Amy Wolfe won the other two four-year seats, with 1,953 and 1,940 votes respectively. Darrell Graham, …

Slated candidates take New Trier board seats

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:48:27 -0500

WINNETKA — While the slate of candidates was announced by the New Trier Board of Education Caucus in October, the results became official Tuesday night. Winning reelection to the New Trier High School board were Board President Alan Dolinko and Trustees Frank “Mac” Harris and John Myefski. Newcomer Greg Robitaille will take the seat of outgoing trustee Carol Ducommun. Wilmette resident Dolinko will serve his second term and looks forward to representing the community for another four years. “I feel very excited to continue to serve the students, families and taxpayers of New Trier High School,” Dolinko said. “We’ve got …

Bielinski wins for Wilmette village president

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:02:07 -0500

WILMETTE — Village Trustees Mike Basil and Bob Bielinski will continue to share space on the Village Board in the aftermath of Tuesday’s election for village president. But Bielinski will take the center seat.

Voting was slow going at Wilmette polls

Sun, 12 May 2013 13:34:42 -0500

When the election workers at Wilmette’s Precinct 33 bet on how many voters would walk through the door before polls closed Tuesday, judge William Wallin guessed 200. “It’s been pretty much what I expected,” he said shortly before 4 p.m.

Election Day polls are closed

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:03:42 -0500

It’s Election Day. Voters will be choosing among candidates for village, library, park district, school and township boards, and, in some cases, village leaders and referendums. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Schneider settles into new office

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:54:00 -0500

Democrat Brad Schneider officially became the 10th U.S. House Representative last week, promising to be an advocate for small business and saying he expected to tackle difficult economic issues in the coming weeks. The Deerfield businessman and management consultant, who won a narrow victory last November over incumbent Republican Bob Dold of Kenilworth, took the oath of office Jan. 3 and was joined by his family for the ceremonies in Washington, D.C. He is the first Democrat in decades to win the district, which was redrawn and shifted north after the 2010 Census. It runs from the Wisconsin border, northwest …

Breakdown: Wilmette tilted toward Obama

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 06:33:55 -0500

WILMETTE — Unofficial precinct results from the Cook County Clerk’s office show Wilmette voters turning out in much higher numbers than many of their suburban counterparts.

How much did it cost Tea Party GOPer Joe Walsh to lose? About $70 a vote

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:56:24 -0500

If money “buys” a vote for a candidate, then ultimately the tens of millions of dollars poured into Illinois congressional races failed to pay off. Outside groups plowed $43 million into the top six U.S. House races in the Land of Lincoln on top of individual campaign spending. However, in the three top Chicago-area congressional races, those who spent the most money — or had the most spent on their behalf — lost.

Kenilworth voters reject home rule

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 19:27:29 -0500

KENILWORTH — In what was not even a close vote, Kenilworth residents rejected home rule Tuesday. With both precincts reporting, unofficial totals showed that 854 voters opposed giving the village home rule authority, a 61.79-38.21 percent edge over the 528 residents who supported the referendum. The result disappointed Village President Fred Steingraber, who said completing village-wide infrastructure improvements, the cost of which has been set as high as $25 million over 10 years, will be more difficult now. Steingraber acknowledged that opponents did not want to give home rule’s greater authority to future village boards whose fiscal intentions they didn’t …

Democrat Brad Schneider ousts Rep. Dold in 10th Congressional District

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:52:00 -0500

In an upset, Democrat Brad Schneider narrowly slipped past U.S. Rep Bob Dold Tuesday, ousting the freshman congressman and giving the 10th District its first Democrat in decades. Dold conceded just before 11 p.m. He lost by barely 2,400 votes out of more than 200,000 cast. Dold, a moderate, was remapped into a Democratic-leaning, north suburban district. At one point Tuesday, he appeared to be heading toward re-election. But as votes from the Lake County portion of the district came in, Schneider narrowly surged past him. The remaining precincts, however, were in Cook County, closer to Dold’s home turf in …

Biss wins 9th state senate seat

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 06:21:54 -0500

EVANSTON Daniel Biss, D–Evanston, now represents the 9th Senate District in Illinois, after defeating Republican opponent Glenn Farkas on Tuesday. With all 168 precincts reporting, Biss won with 64,909 votes (67 percent) to Farkas’ 32,495 (33 percent). Before Election Day, Biss was the state representative for the 17th House District. Farkas, of Glenview, owns a wealth management company. Biss spent most of the night with supporters at a downtown Evanston restaurant, watching President Barack Obama slowly build a lead over challenger Mitt Romney. Biss said his new legislative role as a state senator will change. “I’m going from a bigger …

Schakowsky scores eighth term in Congress

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 06:21:39 -0500

EVANSTON Democrat Jan Schakowsky will return for an eighth term as Illinois’ 9th District congresswoman after defeating Republican challenger Tim Wolfe by a wide margin in Tuesday’s election. With all 538 precincts reporting, Schakowsky had 186,594 votes to Wolfe’s 95,289. Speaking briefly to supporters at Prairie Moon Restaurant Tuesday night in Evanston, Schakowsky said early voting totals showed local voters still support the existing administration in Washington. “They’re showing support of President Obama’s agenda and the agenda of the Democratic party, which are very different from the Republican agenda,” Schakowsky said before heading to McCormick Place for President Obama’s election …

Gabel wins second term in legislature

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 12:56:23 -0500

EVANSTON — Evanston Democrat Robyn Gabel easily won her second term as state representative for the 18th House district Tuesday night, defeating fellow Evanstonian Eric Lieberman by a wide margin. With 79 of 84 precincts reporting at 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, Gabel had 29,503 votes to Lieberman’s 15,783, a 65.15 percent to 34.85 percent edge. There are approximately 70,000 registered voters in the district. Gabel, who spent much of the night with other Democratic candidates in Evanston, said she was thrilled to be returning to Springfield. She planned to go to work as soon as possible solving the state’s pension problems, …

Fine bests Frank in 17th House race

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:44:00 -0500

GLENVIEW — Laura Fine, Democratic candidate for State Representative of the 17th District, has slammed her opponent by an almost two-to-one margin. Fine, a Glenview resident who has served as Northfield Township clerk, as well as an instructor in the political science department of Northeastern Illinois University, racked up 29,503 unofficial votes (65.15 percent) with 82 of 86 precincts reporting. Her Republican opponent Kyle Frank, a Skokie attorney, garnered 15,783 (34.85 percent) votes. Fine was exuberant as she watched the votes being tallied in a room of supporters at the Wildfire Restaurant in Glenview. “I’m so excited! All of our …