Election 2025: A look at 12 contested races, 3 referendum questions in Livingston County
Results from the April 1 Consolidated Election will bring new looks to area governing bodies, including the election of a new mayor for Pontiac and new faces to area boards and other leadership positions.
Here is a look at upcoming contested races in Livingston County.
This is a race of nine candidates for four available seats on the board for Prairie Central CUSD 8. Board president John Wilken and Board member Brian Plenert are seeking re-election. The challengers are Dalton Campbell, Jared Donley, Ashley Fehr, Andrew Jolly, Amanda Kestner, Joe Moreland and Michael Reiners. Current board members Ted Bachtold and Corey Steffen are not seeking re-election.
The board for Dwight's Common School District 232 has five candidates vying for the four seats on the ballot. Lori Bowman and Marc Ellis are incumbents seeking re-election. Brad Hansen, Ryan Kodat and Timothy Misener are the challengers.
The El Paso-Gridley CUSD 11 includes much of southwestern Livingston County. The board race had four candidates seeking three seats. Theresa Miller and Bradley Griffin are incumbents seeking re-election. The challengers are Nathan Hodel and Benjamin Kingdon.
The Cornell CCSD 426 School Board is unique in that five members must come from an incorporated area of the district and four come from unincorporated portion of the district. There is no election for the incorporated seats, but current Board President Marilea Groves and incumbents Troy Hart and Mark Wichman and challengers Jacob Jones, Philip Kelly and Samuel Trainor are the six candidates from the unincorporated area are vying for four seats.
For the second time in five months, the Prairie Central CUSD 8 board is asking for residents in the district to approve a referendum involving the building of a new grade school in Fairbury, as well as updating the high school, junior high and upper elementary buildings in Fairbury and Forrest. This will also involve the closing of pre-K-1 schools in Chatsworth and Chenoa. This time, the board is asking for $38 million in bonds. The $40 million referendum failed in November.
Cornell CCSD 426 residents are being asked to approve to raise the limiting rate for the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) by an amount equal to 0.27905% above the limiting rate for 2023. This would make the rate 3.80545% of the equalized assessed value (EAV) of taxable property for the 2025 levy.
Residents in Sullivan Township, which includes Cullom, are being asked two questions — accept a new tax rate proposal and accept an increase in limiting rate proposal. The tax rate is for cemetery fund purposes with an additional tax of 0.05% of the EAV of taxable property. The limiting rate of PTELL is in question as residents are being asked to approve an increase in the amount equal to 0.05% above the limiting rate to provide control and maintenance of township cemeteries for levy year 2025 and for levy years thereafter.
Mayor Richard Runyon is running for re-election. He is being challenged by Michael Ifland.
Allison Gray is the challenger for one of the three open seats on the village board. Incumbents Kristy Dodge, Terrence Sullivan and Kim Wargo are running to keep their seats.
Five candidates are running for three open seats on the Forrest village board. Incumbents Ronald Steidinger, Robert Haab and Keith Beal are running to keep their seats while Brad Brucker and Brittany Steidinger are challenging for a seat.
Incumbent Mark Yoder is being challenged by Matthew Steidinger for the township's road commissioner position.
There is no incumbent for road commissioner of Long Point Township, leaving Randy Finck, Matthew Mance and Brian Ruff in a three-way faceoff for the position.
Incumbent Jacob Medema is facing the challenge of Joseph Donald Highland for road commissioner.
Derek Stephens and Anthony Brown are running against each other for the road commissioner position.
Robin Bohm is the incumbent for road commissioner, but Jeremy F. Haas is posing a challenge.
Erich Murphy is a reporter for the Pontiac Daily Leader.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Election 2025: Schools, townships highlight Livingston County ballots
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