In a stunning repudiation of the status quo in Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233, voters Tuesday rejected three school board incumbents. Three challengers — Steve Anderson, Annette Bannon and Beth Laroccca — won seats on the board. [Updated at 10:10 a.m.]
with family and supporters at Flossmoor Station.
(Photos by Mary Compton/H-F Chronicle)
In a stunning repudiation of the status quo in Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233, voters Tuesday rejected three school board incumbents.
Steve Anderson, a school board member in Homewood District 153, was the top vote-getter among the seven candidates in the H-F contest. Two newcomers, Beth Larocca and Annette Bannon, finished second and third.
“I think people were really voting for change,” Bannon said. “I think there have been things going on in the community that made people want to pay attention and find out what is really going on.”
Incumbent H-F board members Gerald Pauling, Richard Lites and Andy Lindstrom went down to defeat Tuesday.
victory at Flossmoor Station.
Several family members and
supporters were on hand to
hear his acceptance speech.
The H-F election was the highest-profile contest in Tuesday’s consolidated election. Voters also made decisions in village races and chose board members for grade school districts, local libraries and the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District.
In Flossmoor, two-term incumbent Paul Braun narrowly defeated Jeanne “Gigi” Gummerson. Two of three incumbent trustees in Flossmoor were also re-elected.
Braun said the mayor’s race was the most spirited contest in years.
“It was and that’s because people want to move the community forward,” Braun said. “It’s nice my challenger gave the community a choice at this point. I think our message resonated so we will continue to work hard and move Flossmoor forward.”
Homewood Mayor Richard Hofeld, who was unopposed, won another term. Members of his Greater Homewood Party ticket were also re-elected.
Incumbents Brent Bachus and Dallas Collins won two six-year terms on the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District Board.
With all precincts reporting here is a breakdown of the individual races
H-F High School District 233
Anderson received 3,294 votes. Larocca came in second with 2,993 votes and Bannon, with 2,815 votes, took the third spot. Lindstrom got 2,689 votes, Pauling got 2,734 votes and Lites received 2,065 votes. Eric Grant got 1,820 votes.
Village of Flossmoor
Braun was re-elected mayor with 1,384 votes and Gummerson received 1,157 votes. In the trustee race incumbent Diane Williams was re-elected with 1,474 votes and Philip Minga won re-election with 1,106 votes. Brian Driscoll won the third seat with 984 votes. Incumbent James Crum got 759 votes. Keitric Emory got 645 votes, Stephen Kelley got 877 votes and Peter K.B. St. Jean got 694 votes.
Joni Bradley Scott was the only candidate to file for village clerk. She received 1,954 votes.
Village of Homewood
from left, are Homewood
Trustee Barbara Dawkins,
Mayor Richard Hofeld and
Trustee Jay Heiferman.
Mayor Richard Hofeld got 2,705 votes and Village Clerk Marilyn Thomas got 2,682 votes. They were both unopposed. Three incumbents were re-elected. They are Larry Burnson with 2,089 votes, Anne Colton with 2,353 votes and Barbara Dawkins with 2,135 votes. Challenger Jennifer “Jen” Sjoblom got 1,118 votes.
Flossmoor School District 161
Stephen Paredes, the sole incumbent running for the school board, was re-elected with 1,825 votes. Carolyn Griggs, with 2,371 votes, Cameron Nelson, with 2,092 votes, and Misha Lynn Blackman with 1,531 votes, were also victorious. LaCael Palmer Pratt got 906 votes, Melissa Stilts got 953 votes, Isaac D. Harris got 1,026 votes, Jadey Ryndak got 905 votes and Kelli Bentley got 855 votes.
Homewood School District 153
The three incumbents were unopposed. Gregory V. Lawrence got 1,850 votes, Deborah Smith Havighorst got 1,867 votes and Shelly F. Marks got 1,944 votes.
Flossmoor Public Library
Kimberly Mitchell, with 1,413 votes, won a four-year seat. The other two seats went to incumbents Nancy Disabato, with 1,102 votes, and Natasha Bergeron, with 1,012 votes. Leslie Kimmons got 917 votes, incumbent Jane Harper got 959 votes and Dominique Bordelon-Bristol got 864 votes. Derrick Hayes, the only candidate for a two-year unexpired seat, received 1,848 votes.
H-F Park District
Bachus, with 2,724 votes, and Collins, with 2,441 votes, won the two six-year seats. Terrence F. Wright got 2,220 votes, Brit G. Volini got 1,197 votes and Dr. Louis C. Rutland got 821 votes. Of the two candidates who ran for an unexpired two-year term on the park board, Christina Farley Jackson won with 2,611 votes. Alesia M. Crockett got 1,658 votes.
Homewood Public Library
Three six-year seats were at stake. Winning candidates were Adrienne River with 1,886 votes, Jacoba Ward with 1,497 votes and incumbent Percy Harris with 1,642 votes. Lorea Farley got 1,465 votes. There were also two unexpired seats at stake. Patricia Mosley Smith, who got 2,264 votes, was the only candidate for the four-year term. There were no candidates for the two-year term.
Prairie State College
Three candidates won six-year seats on the board: Camiella Willams, with 10,763 votes; Marc Wiley, with 9,659 votes; and Christopher Balkauskas with 9,290 votes. Other candidates for the six-year terms included Andre Lewis, 8,442; Jay Readey 8,051; and Brunetta Hill Corley, 7,681. John Stanfa ran unopposed for a two-year seat. He received 18,839 votes.
who won for school board 161, Derrick Hayes, who
won for Library trustee in Flossmoor, Christina Farley
Jackson, who won for H/F Park District Commissioner
and Kimberly Mitchell who won as Library trustee
in Flossmoor.