Key suburban political races to watch, from Dolton to Arlington Heights
Early voting is underway for the February 25 primary and April 1 general election in several suburban communities, including Berwyn and Cicero.
In Cicero, tensions are high as town presidential candidate Esteban Rodriguez calls for an investigation into alleged election interference by incumbent Larry Dominick.
Other key suburban races include the Aurora mayoral election, Arlington Heights' leadership change amid the Bears stadium debate, and Dolton's mayoral race, where Mayor Tiffany Henyard faces a federal investigation.
CICERO, Ill. - Early voting has begun in the suburbs for the February 25 primary election and the April 1 general election.
That includes west suburban Berwyn and Cicero—where politics are heating up.
Tensions are rising as Cicero town presidential candidate Esteban Rodriguez is calling on the attorney general and state's attorney to investigate alleged election interference by longtime incumbent Larry Dominick.
The backstory
On Friday, FOX 32 reported that the front windows of Esteban Rodriguez's home and campaign headquarters were smashed in separate incidents.
Video obtained by FOX 32's Paris Schutz shows a suspect throwing a large brick through the window of Rodriguez's house.
A photo shared by Schutz also shows damage done to his campaign headquarters.
In a post on X, Schutz wrote:
"It's election season… in Cicero. Both the home and campaign HQ of town president candidate Esteban Rodriguez - running against longtime local machine incumbent Larry Dominick were bricked/vandalized last night. No suspects yet. Nobody was hurt."
Cicero police confirmed that reports have been filed regarding the incident, and an investigation is currently underway. There are no reports of injuries, and authorities are working to identify the offender.
Rodriguez is accusing Dominick of being behind the vandalism, while a voter group aligned with Dominick suggests Rodriguez may have staged it himself for attention.
What we know
Five candidates are challenging incumbent Richard Irvin in the upcoming election.
Listed in ballot order, the challengers are John Laesch, Ted Mesiacos, Karina Garcia, Jazmine Garcia, and Jud Lofchie.
Irvin, who ran unsuccessfully for governor as a Republican in 2022, has faced scrutiny over city contracts awarded to politically connected individuals—an issue his opponents have been quick to spotlight.
With incumbent Tom Hayes not seeking reelection in Arlington Heights, the race is between challengers Tom Schwingbeck, Jim Tinaglia and Jon Ridler.
And, the proposed Bears stadium at the old Arlington Racetrack site is shaping up to be a key election issue.
The backstory
In November 2022, village trustees approved a zoning change to allow a sports betting facility near the old Arlington International Racecourse. The zone change was critical to the Bears' development proposal to create an NFL stadium and mixed-used commercial district on the 326-acre site.
In 2023, the Chicago Bears announced that they officially purchased the Arlington Park property in Arlington Heights.
The Bears made the purchase for $197.2 million. However, the organization says just because the purchase was finalized, that doesn't mean their vision for building a domed stadium and entertainment district is a done deal.
The building of a Bears entertainment district, analysts say, would create more than 48,000 jobs and generate $9.4 billion for the local economy.
The proposed stadium would be built just east of Illinois Route 53 and south of Northwest Highway.
Less than half of the 326-acre property would make up the stadium and parking. While the Bears have yet to determine capacity, officials said the new facility would hold significantly more fans than Soldier Field.
In December 2024, the Arlington Heights Board of Trustees unanimously approved a measure that solidified a settlement between the Bears and three local school districts, setting the team's annual tax bill for their 326-acre Arlington Heights property at $3.6 million as long as the land remains undeveloped.
While this agreement resolves a long-running property tax dispute and lays the groundwork for future development, the Bears have reiterated that their current focus remains on exploring a new stadium at Chicago's lakefront.
Heading south to Dolton, where the spotlight is on Mayor Tiffany Henyard, who is under federal investigation and facing scrutiny over an independent report detailing the town's excessive spending— including an ice rink, a trip to Las Vegas, and hundreds of thousands in Amazon purchases.
Council member Jason House is challenging Henyard, hoping to tap into the frustration many residents feel about the state of their community.
The backstory
Henyard has stirred up controversy in both Dolton and Thornton Township, where she was a supervisor, and now she's facing an FBI investigation.
In May 2024, Henyard was named in a seven-page subpoena served at Dolton Village Hall back, which asked for all payments, expense reimbursements, per diems and credit card expenditures for her, beginning just before the election in 2021.
The same information was also requested from her top assistant, Keith Freeman, and a pair of businesses controlled by Freeman as well as several trustees and village employees who had traveled with Henyard.
The subpoena also showed that the FBI is looking into complaints by Dolton business owners whose licenses have been held up by the village, asking for licensing information for 10 bars and restaurants, including two that were raided and closed by Dolton police in February – Rinky's Bar and Pablo's Cafe and Bar.
The feds are reportedly focusing on all the expensive out-of-state travel by Henyard and her crew, including first class plane tickets, asking for travel records for all trips, but specifying Washington D.C., Las Vegas and Portland, Oregon.
RELATED: Thornton Township subpoenas reveal Tiffany Henyard is target of criminal investigation
The FBI also asked for shift records for a number of officers assigned to her detail, including officer Terry Young, who last May reported working 303 hours over a two-week period.
The subpoena asked for information about Henyard's charitable foundation, which used employees and vehicles from Dolton as part of a march to Springfield in 2022.
A federal grand jury has been conducting a criminal investigation into Henyard since November 2023.
In all, the FBI served a total of five subpoenas over a two-week period on Dolton and Thornton Township, where Henyard also serves as supervisor.
Michael Airhart
Lawrence L. Jackson
Rena Poulos
Robert J. Lovero
Rafael 'Ralph' Avila
Alicia Maria Ruiz
James Patton Jr.
Thaddeus Jones
Thomas M. Connelly
Jeffery D. Schielke
Kevin Burns
Karsten Pawlik
Clint Hull
Lora A. Vitek
Scott M. Levin
Mark A. Mulliner
Gary Fasules
James Burket
Michael Ontiveroz
Rebecca Giannelli
James Francis Sullivan
Michael J. Light
Mary Jo Mullen
Christopher "Chris" R. Pecak
For more information on Cook County elections, click here.
For more information on Kane County elections, click here.
For more information on Will County elections, click here.
For more information on Lake County elections, click here.
For more information on Kendall County elections, click here.
For more information on DuPage County elections, click here.
The Source
Paris Schutz reported on this story from Chicago.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
10 minutes ago
- New York Post
NYC Mayor Eric Adams: ‘I have not asked' for Trump's help getting re-elected and president hasn't offered
President Trump has yet to make overtures to assist Mayor Adams' re-election bid — and Hizzoner isn't counting on it. Trump recently hailed Adams' re-election bid and many of the commander-in-chief's supporters continue to pressure Republican Curtis Sliwa to drop out of the race and prevent a victory by 'communist lunatic' Zohran Mamdani. But Adams told The Post 'I have not asked him for [an endorsement or help], and he has not interfered with this race at all.' 5 Mayor Eric Adams says President Donald Trump has yet to make overtures to assist his re-election bid – and he's not counting on it. J.C. Rice Adams faces an serious uphill battle to get re-elected — with a series of recent polls having him in a distant third or fourth place, more than 20 points behind Democratic nominee and frontrunner Mamdani. Adams, however, expressed confidence he'll pull off an upset win in November, even if Sliwa and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — a registered Democrat like Adams also running as an independent — remain in the race. 'I got to win the race based on what I do best, and that's campaign,' said Adams during an interview Thursday on the backyard porch of Gracie Mansion. The trio are jockeying for the votes of moderate Dems and Republicans, as well as the largest swath of the independent voters. Cuomo and Adams have repeatedly called for each other to drop out of the race, claiming only they can stave off the young far-left socialist from being handed the keys to New York City. Adams, who has repeatedly cozied up to the president, skirted questions about whether he'd even want a Trump endorsement considering Dems outnumber Republicans 6-1 in the city. 5 Trump has declined to comment who he will support NYC mayor, instead telling reporters earlier this week, 'I don't want to say.' AFP via Getty Images However, he wondered out loud why Cuomo didn't get the same criticism he received from lefty critics after Trump on Tuesday said the ex-governor should stay in the race because he 'has a shot' to beat Mamdani and prevent a 'communist' from running NYC. Trump declined to say who he would support, instead telling reporters on the White House lawn, 'I don't want to say.' Adams also skirted questions on whether he'd accept the Republican line if it became available. For that scenario to play out, Sliwa, 71, under state election law, would either first have to accept a federal appointment or die. There's also some precedent for him to be removed from the ballot if he moves out of Gotham and alerts election officials he can't serve as mayor. Adams would then need the backing of at least three of the five Republican county chairs to replace Sliwa on the Republican line. 5 Socialist Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is frontrunner to become NYC's next mayor. Paul Martinka Sliwa, however, insists he remains all in on his mayoral bid — even though he's not expecting a Trump endorsement based on past bad blood between the two. Although Trump has yet to reach out to Adams, he has repeatedly blasted Mamdani after the socialist's stunning upset in New York's Democratic mayoral primary last month. 'Democrats have crossed the line by elevating a 100% Communist Lunatic,' Trump railed in a Truth Social post on June 25. Adams has repeatedly come under fire from his party's far-left faction for having a good working relationship with the Republican president. 5 Ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio said Adams should avoid a Trump endorsement if he wants to be re-elected. William Farrington Some pols and political pundits say Adams could see a significant bump in support from Trump-loving Republicans and moderate Democrats if the president offered the mayor his support. 'Moderates Democrats might have a problem with Trump, but they're more likely to have a bigger problem with Mamdani,' said Hank Sheinkopf, a longtime Democratic consultant. 'They might look at Adams and say he's a [retired NYPD] cop and understands all our problems.' Yet Adams should expect little support from New Yorkers who voted for Mamdani in the Democratic primary — especially if Trump endorses him, Sheinkopf added. Far-left ex-NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed, adding a potential endorsement from Trump would all but doom Adams' re-election campaign. De Blasio told The Post his advice for any candidate in the left-leaning Metropolis — including Adams — is 'you're going to lose more than you gain' with a Trump endorsement, considering only 30% of NYC voters supported Trump in last year's presidential election. 5 Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — a registered Democrat like Adams — also is running for mayor as an independent. John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock 'It's simply bad math: Two-thirds of New Yorkers would react badly to someone they saw affiliated with Trump . . . so you lose a bunch of Democrats,' said de Blasio, an avid supporter of the 33-year-old Mamdani. 'It's not 2001 where a Democratic Michael Bloomberg took on the Republican [mayoral] line sort of in a fusion way like we used to have where a moderate Republican could be acceptable to a certain number of Democrats,' he said. 'This is a whole different reality because of Trumpism. People have just hardened on their positions, so I don't see how it adds up.'
Time Magazine
11 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
Roadblocks Cuomo Faces in NYC Mayoral Race, Per the Experts
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to re-enter the race for New York City Mayor after his decisive defeat in the Democratic primary in June has prompted plenty of discussion. Cuomo, who conceded the race to progressive newcomer Zohran Mamdani of the Democratic Party, announced his return via a video statement on July 14, during which he shared he will now run as an Independent. 'I am in it to win it,' Cuomo said. 'Only 13% of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November, and I am in it to win it. My opponent, Mr. Mamdani, offers slick slogans, but no real solutions.' Mamdani responded to Cuomo's video by commenting directly underneath it with a link to donate money to his own campaign. As of Saturday morning, Mamdani's X response has over 180,000 likes, while Cuomo's original post has just 5.5k. Experts have queried if Cuomo has learned from the mistakes of his Democratic primary campaign and whether he can overcome the roadblocks facing him in order to stand a solid chance in the November election. If Cuomo is to have a fighting chance, Boris Heersink, a political science professor at Fordham University, says he'll have to find a new narrative for his campaign, decide the key issues upon which he wants to build his platform, and somehow fight back against the campaigns of Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and current Mayor Eric Adams, who is also running as an Independent. It's a delicate balancing act. 'It's actually going to be a pretty tough thing for him to figure out how to present an aggressive Cuomo, that's also a gentler Cuomo, and a more policy-focused Cuomo, all in one package,' says Heersink. Furthermore, some of the high-profile billionaires who previously showed support to Cuomo have since decided to back current Mayor Adams in the general election, including hedge-fund manager Bill Ackman. Now, Cuomo will need to garner new support. Here is what experts say Cuomo's major roadblocks will be as he attempts to run a successful mayoral campaign. Campaigning amid the backdrop of previous sexual harassment allegations Cuomo re-entering this race comes four years after he resigned as Governor of New York after a report from the state Attorney General accused Cuomo of sexually harassing at least 11 women, most of whom had worked for him. The allegations ranged from groping and kissing to remarks about the women's appearances and sex lives. Cuomo denied the allegations. He then went on to acknowledge that he "acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable." He said it was "unintentional" and that he "truly and deeply apologised" over it. "I feel awful about it and, frankly, I am embarrassed by it," he said in a video statement, before doubling down on his statement that he "never touched anyone inappropriately." On Friday, July 19, the state of New York agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a lawsuit from Brittany Commisso, an ex-aide of Cuomo's who alleged he had sexually harassed and groped her while he was in office. In a statement, Commisso's lawyers referred to the settlement as 'a complete vindication of her claims' and said that Commisso is "glad to be able to move forward with her life." In response, lawyers for Cuomo said: 'The settlement is not a vindication, it is capitulation to avoid the truth," and once again referred to the allegations as "false." Heersink says that Cuomo has not addressed the allegations in his newly-relaunched mayoral campaign. "It's clearly not going to go away. If he's actually going to be actively out there campaigning, it's actually going to come up quite a lot in setups that he can't control,' Heersink says. 'It's a reason for a lot of people to never vote for Cuomo, [and] there's a decent number of people that I think are at least uncomfortable with it.' Cuomo has also come under fire over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during his time as New York Governor and the testimony he gave in regards to the high number of deaths reported in nursing homes during that time. Cuomo can't have tunnel vision. He must not only defeat Mamdani, but Adams and Sliwa too If Cuomo, Adams, and Sliwa split the non-Mamdani vote, Mamdani will 'certainly' win, Heersink says, arguing that Cuomo needs to convince all those who say they are supporting Adams or Sliwa 'to transfer their support to him, so that he can prevent Mamdani from winning the election.' In order to do that, Heersink says Cuomo will need to posit Mamdani as a 'real threat,' but this could admittedly descend into a 'negative' campaign, something he may be keen to avoid. In an interview with the New York Magazine, published earlier this week, Cuomo appeared to be on board, at least partly, with a renewed approach, admitting that this time around he needs to be 'aggressive across the board.' For Laura Tamman, a professor of political science at Pace University, the issue is that Mamdani has often done better with someone to villainize against. So Cuomo's efforts on that front could end up backfiring. 'Cuomo is a good person for Mamdani to excite people against,' she says. 'It's helpful for fundraising. It's helpful for galvanizing volunteers.' (Cuomo's Super Pac battled hard against Mamdani in the primary, yet he didn't defeat him.) Tamman echoes Heersink's argument that Cuomo will need to consolidate all of the non-Democrat voters, as well as a 'healthy number' of people who are registered as Democrats, in order to claim victory in November. It's because of this that Brian Arbour, associate professor of political science at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, argues that partisanship will be Cuomo's enemy. 'It's a partisan election, and you somehow have to get Democrats not to vote for the Democrat,' he says. Cuomo can't undervalue the importance of likeability Cuomo does not have the 'winner vibe' around him right now, experts tell TIME, so he will need to find a 'positive reason' for people to rally behind him, rather than just a 'negative reason' to not vote for the other candidates. Cuomo, in his latest campaign video and interviews, is seemingly trying to come across as more approachable, experts argue, with Heersink saying it perhaps shows that he has 'learned something' from the Democratic primary upset. 'The approach that he [Cuomo] took in the Democratic primary was, essentially, 'I'm gonna win this thing so I don't actually have to talk to you,'' says Heersink. 'In the primary, he barely campaigned—he was a candidate, but most of the actual campaigning on his behalf was being done by his Super PAC.' Cuomo could be seen shaking the hands of New Yorkers on the street, visiting subway stations, and engaging in more community-driven activities as he announced his re-entry to the race. But Camille Rivera, a political campaign strategist at New Deals Strategies, remains unconvinced this approach will resonate with voters after the primary. She argues that 'not being available for people or press doesn't work in New York City' and that it could feel 'disingenuous' and 'offensive to voters' to start now. Finding an issue to galvanize voters around Mamdani's success, in part, stems from his centering of the issue of affordability, and the popularity of his calls to 'freeze the rent,' make buses free, and provide free childcare in the city. Heersink says that Cuomo will need to find an equally compelling issue of his own to galvanize voters around. 'I think if you were to ask people what are the policies that Cuomo ran on in the Democratic primary, they would have a tough time summarizing that,' he says. 'To be fair, I think that's a criticism you can make of lots of candidates in the Democratic primary.' Yet, Mamdani differentiated himself in this sense, making sure that his policies stood out. When discussing his re-entry to the race, Cuomo told New York Magazine that combatting crime will be a core focus of his platform. 'We either stop the crime, stop the exodus, or we pivot now and start to bring the city back,' he said. 'But I believe it's A or B. You continue the decline and we have real trouble. Or we take a different path to start to make some changes. And I think Mamdani takes us in exactly the wrong direction.' Yet, with Adams in the race, Arbour says that it will be harder for Cuomo to "differentiate himself on this issue,' as it's a core principle of Adams' platform, too. "It's certainly the issue that Adams wants to talk about [also], and it fits with his background,' Arbour says, highlighting Adams' focus on combatting crime since his election in 2021.
USA Today
40 minutes ago
- USA Today
$10 billion lawsuit. More documents coming. Here's the latest on Trump and Epstein.
WASHINGTON – After being on the defensive over his administration's handling of disclosures about Jeffrey Epstein's case, President Donald Trump is on the attack. In a lawsuit filed July 18, Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages over the Wall Street Journal's publication of an article saying the future president wrote a lewd letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday. "We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS 'article' in the useless 'rag' that is, The Wall Street Journal," Trump wrote on social media. He filed the lawsuit the day after directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce more Epstein documents amid public clamor for the records - a fascination Trump said he doesn't understand about what he called a 'pretty boring' case. And on July 19, Trump doubted the upcoming records release will satisfy his critics. "It will always be more, more, more," Trump said on social media. Here's what to know about the latest developments in Trump's dealings with the continued interest in the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. What does Trump want? Trump wants $10 billion in damages from the Wall Street Journal, its parent company, owner and two reporters claiming libel and slander. A $10 billion award would far exceed the largest defamation judgments and settlements in recent history, according to Reuters. More: Trump sues WSJ, Rupert Murdoch and two reporters for Epstein letter story To win, Trump has to prove the Wall Street Journal acted with 'actual malice,' a standard set by the Supreme Court in 1964. The court in March declined an appeal from top Republican donor and former casino magnate Steve Wynn asking the court to overturn that ruling. What did the Wall Street Journal report? At issue is a story published July 17 describing a letter from Trump that the Journal wrote was part of a leather-bound birthday book with dozens of other letters that was presented to Epstein in 2003. Trump's letter ends with 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,' according to the report. Trump's signature on the letter, which was written in the form of text inside a hand-drawn outline of a nude woman, is "a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair,' according to the Journal. How has the Wall Street Journal responded to Trump's lawsuit? A Dow Jones spokesperson said July 18 that the Wall Street Journal stands by its story. "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit," the spokesperson said. More: Trump's team promised transparency on Epstein. Here's what they delivered. What new Epstein files does Trump want released? After Trump on July 17 directed Bondi to produce more Epstein documents, federal prosecutors followed up with a motion filed July 18 in federal court in Manhattan seeking to unseal grand jury transcripts in the criminal cases against Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell. 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,' Trump wrote on social media. More: At Trump's request, Justice Department asks court to release Epstein grand jury records Epstein's federal sex-trafficking case was still pending when he was found dead in a jail cell in 2019. It was a partial about-face for Trump, after his Justice Department released a memo July 7 saying no further Epstein disclosure was warranted. But it's not clear what portion of the government's Epstein files are taken up by that testimony. When will the new information become public? It could take time for the courts to release any records, and the grand jury documents are just a portion of the unreleased files. 'What about videos, photographs and other recordings?' Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman, a former prosecutor, wrote on social media in response to Bondi saying she'd seek the release of grand jury testimony. 'What about FBI… (witness interviews)? What about texts and emails?' Meanwhile, Congress also is considering another, non-binding, resolution calling for the release of Epstein records. The House Rules Committee advanced the resolution July 17 on a party-line vote. Democrats opposed the measure because it is non-binding. What Epstein information was previously released? Trump previously accused the Biden administration of hiding a list of Epstein clients. he Department of Justice teased that more files would be coming out, but then on July 7, Bondi said there was no client list and no further disclosure was needed. More: Jeffrey Epstein had no 'client list,' died by suicide, DOJ and FBI conclude That led to a wave of backlash from Trump's MAGA base. More: Trump bows to Epstein critics clamoring for more records. Will it calm MAGA's fury? What was Trump's reletionship with Epstein? Trump's association with Epstein, whom he knew socially, has dogged him since his first term in office. In 2019, Trump said he'd had a 'falling out' with Epstein, whom he described as a 'Palm Beach fixture,' in the mid-2000s. Trump hasn't explained why, but a 2019 Washington Post story describes a power struggle the two men had that year over an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion. In 2022, Trump called Epstein a "terrific guy." 'He's a lot of fun to be with," Trump told New York magazine. "It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." Is Trump in the Epstein files? Trump has already appeared in legal documents concerning Epstein's crimes, but never in a way that implicates him. In the 1990s, Trump rode on aircraft owned by Epstein, according to flight logs released in two lawsuits. But that was 30-plus years ago. In Palm Beach County state attorney documents, an image of a message pad communication seized in a Palm Beach police search appeared, but there is nothing more than Trump's name and a phone number. Contributing: Aysha Bagchi, Joey Garrison, Zac Anderson, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Kinsey Crowly, Holly Baltz.
