Several Cook County elections took place on Tuesday, April 1 including the Skokie, Morton Grove and Niles mayoral elections and the District 219 school board election.
Running against Charles Isho and David “Azi” Lifsics, Ann Tennes won the Skokie mayoral election with 49.92% of the vote. The current mayor, George Van Dusen, decided to not run for re-election after serving for 24 years.
“There were numerous candidates who stepped up to run for various offices. They had strong contingents who supported them and worked hard for their candidacies and for their campaigns…We need to bring the community together because at the end of the day, we all love Skokie…and we all want a community that’s safe. We want taxes to be held in check. We want leaders to be accountable, and all of the other wonderful things that make life in Skokie so great,” Tennes said.
Tennes plans on making changes throughout Skokie. She is interested in residents’ concerns.
“Residents are concerned about traffic safety and the conditions of roads and infrastructure throughout Skokie, so we have to make sure that our policies and thresholds for implementing traffic safety are appropriate, and the types of services that the community is really wanting,” Tennes said.
Tennes is also making a change to village board meetings. Public comments are currently at the end of the meeting, but Tennes believes they should be at the beginning so residents do not have to wait.
During the first day of Early Voting, it was reported to the Skokie Village Clerk’s office that some residents received errors in their ballots. The Cook County Election Board was notified immediately, and the errors were fixed by the next day.
Other mayoral elections occurred, including Janine Witko for Morton Grove, George Alpogianis for Niles and Jesal Patel for Lincolnwood, who all ran uncontested.
The District 219 school board gained three new members. Nour Akhras, Kandice Cooley-Jones and Lindley Wisnewski were declared the winners of the election, all of whom were endorsed by the Niles Township Federation of Teachers and Support Staff (NTFTSS). D219 board member Amber Wood commented on the election results and is excited for what is to come.
“I am excited to welcome Kandice, Lindley, and Nour so that we may all work collaboratively on behalf of the students, parents, staff, and community of Niles Township. They will bring varied experiences and voices and engage fully in the marketplace of ideas through discussion and deliberation. As the D219 Board welcomes three new members and thanks three departing members, the work of the Board does not slow or stop. We will be working on the opening of the new Niles Central space, the Niles West addition, and so much more. One key focal point will be the next iteration of the D219 5 Year Strategic Plan. I am honored to continue this important work with the current and new Board members,” Wood said.
