Latest news with #Holzhauer
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Naperville Councilman Ian Holzhauer announces bid for DuPage County Board
Fresh off starting a second term on the Naperville City Council, Ian Holzhauer has announced plans to run for DuPage County Board next year. Holzhauer made the announcement on his personal Facebook page Sunday night just hours after being sworn in for another four years on the council. 'The number one duty of candidates and elected officials is to be candid with voters,' his post read. 'Many have asked about my future intentions. Rather than be cagey, I will be straightforward: I will be running for DuPage County Board in District 5 in the midterm election.' District 5 comprises most of Naperville and sections of Aurora in DuPage. Reached over the phone Tuesday evening, Holzhauer confirmed his plans to run as a Democrat, saying the county board is a place where he felt he 'could make a contribution.' 'I've been an admirer for the last couple of years of the leadership on the county board (and) of how collaboratively the board is able to work,' he said. 'I look forward to applying some of the lessons I've learned from governing in Naperville and learning new things in DuPage County.' Holzhauer was first elected to council in 2021. Holzhauer said that he had been 'mulling this for awhile' but that the decision to seek this office is something he reached within the last week. He also said that the 'composition of the city council' that he'd be leaving behind should he get elected to county board was 'certainly a major factor in my decision process.' Holzhauer's announcement comes just over a month after the April 1 consolidated election, where he emerged as the third-highest vote getter in the eight-way race for council. Holzhauer was reelected alongside fellow incumbent Benny White as well as newcomers Ashfaq Syed and Mary Gibson. Before they were elected, the group had aligned themselves in the months leading up to April 1 and together received the backing of both prominent Naperville Democrats and the party itself. All four were inaugurated Sunday afternoon. The first meeting of the new council was set for Tuesday night. 'The results of the Naperville election were a big influence because I believe that with the current composition of council that we have, we're going to be able to accomplish a huge amount of things in the next couple of years,' Holzhauer said. 'It makes me very comfortable that the council will be in good hands beyond that point.' Holzhauer said that as a board member, he'd focus on expanding countywide mental health initiatives. 'The county has this unique position to deal with what I consider to be our nation's single biggest crisis right now, which is the mental health crisis. … We've done what we can in the city, and I'm really proud of that work,' he said. 'But this is just taking it to another level.' Holzhauer said he would also focus on tackling development challenges that the county faces 'being almost fully filled out.' District 5 seats are currently held by Democrats Sadia Covert, Dawn DeSart and Saba Haider. Haider, of Aurora, was just elected to the board last fall after unseating former Naperville City Council member Patty Gustin. Her term is up in 2028. For Covert and DeSart, both of Naperville, their terms are up in 2026. The seats, however, would be elected separately, according toDuPage County Chief Deputy Clerk Adam Johnson. Term limits for the county board are staggered, Johnson said, speaking over the phone Tuesday. For each of the board's six districts, there are three seats. Those are divided into two, four-year terms and one two-year term. How those terms are divided between members is decided by a lottery system held each redistricting year, Johnson said. The last time the county decided term lengths for its 18-seat board was in 2022. Per the results of that lottery, DeSart's seat is up for a two-year term next year while Covert's seat is up for a four-year term. Holzhauer said that he would be seeking the four-year seat. Should more than one candidate from a party vie for the seats, there would be a primary election to decide who gets the nomination. DeSart said in a call that she intends to run for the two-year District 5 seat. Covert could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening. In response to Holzhauer's bid for county board, DuPage County Republicans called the move 'absolutely ridiculous.' 'Not even 24 hours after being sworn in as a Naperville City Councilman, Ian Holzhauer announces a campaign for another office,' DuPage GOP wrote on Facebook Tuesday. 'Wouldn't the transparent and 'not cagey' thing to do … have been to have told the voters he was running for another office before they voted him in for another term as their councilman? There's a reason many people do not trust politicians. This is a good example as to why.' tkenny@
Chicago Tribune
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville Councilman Ian Holzhauer announces bid for DuPage County Board
Fresh off starting a second term on the Naperville City Council, Ian Holzhauer has announced plans to run for DuPage County Board next year. Holzhauer made the announcement on his personal Facebook page Sunday night just hours after being sworn in for another four years on the council. 'The number one duty of candidates and elected officials is to be candid with voters,' his post read. 'Many have asked about my future intentions. Rather than be cagey, I will be straightforward: I will be running for DuPage County Board in District 5 in the midterm election.' Holzhauer did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday afternoon. His announcement comes just over a month after the April 1 consolidated election, where he emerged as the third-highest vote getter in the eight-way race for the council. Holzhauer was reelected alongside fellow incumbent Benny White and newcomers Ashfaq Syed and Mary Gibson. All four were inaugurated Sunday afternoon. The first meeting of the new council was set for Tuesday night. In his post-inauguration message on Facebook, Holzhauer wrote, 'I'm proud of the work I've done on council over the past four years,' adding that he's 'excited to continue advancing these priorities over the next two years.' He then went on to write that as a county board member, he 'will focus on expanding countywide mental health initiatives, driving economic development, and upholding the principles of good governance.' There are three District 5 seats on the 18-member county board. Currently, they are held by Sadia Covert, Dawn DeSart and Saba Haider. Covert and DeSart's terms are up in 2026. Haider was elected to the board last fall after unseating former Naperville City Council member Patty Gustin. Holzhauer was first elected to council in 2021. In response to Holzhauer's bid for county board, DuPage County Republicans called the move 'absolutely ridiculous.' 'Not even 24 hours after being sworn in as a Naperville City Councilman, Ian Holzhauer announces a campaign for another office,' DuPage GOP wrote on Facebook Tuesday. 'Wouldn't the transparent and 'not cagey' thing to do … have been to have told the voters he was running for another office before they voted him in for another term as their councilman? There's a reason many people do not trust politicians. This is a good example as to why.'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Partisan politics in Naperville's nonpartisan election raises questions over how future races will be run
Just after unofficial results in the race for Naperville City Council rolled in Tuesday night, Ian Holzhauer weaved through supporters to make a speech. Packed into a room at the back of Lou Malnati's in downtown Naperville, eyes turned to Holzhauer as the incumbent positioned himself under an arch of red, white and blue balloons. 'Look at what we did,' Holzhauer said to the audience, 'four out of four.' Holzhauer joined fellow incumbent Benny White and newcomers Mary Gibson and Ashfaq Syed in securing the four open seats. In the months leading up to Election Day, the group coordinated their campaigns and were often seen pictured together on flyers and promoting one another in messaging and across social media. But beyond just aligning themselves, the candidates received the backing of both prominent Naperville Democrats and the party itself, a move that has raised questions over the role political parties are playing in traditionally nonpartisan races. Over the first few weeks of March, White, Holzhauer, Syed and Gibson each took to social media to make an announcement: they had been endorsed by Democratic U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood and Bill Foster, both Naperville residents. The candidates circulated pictures of themselves standing alongside the congressional members. Underwood endorsed through her Farm Team political action committee, which she created in 2019 to help elect candidates to state and local office across Illinois' 14th congressional district. In addition to weighing in on the council race, Underwood's PAC also endorsed four candidates for Naperville Park Board: Rhonda Ansier, Leslie Ruffing, Alison Thompson and Aishwarya Balakrishna. Foster issued the same endorsements, according to a campaign spokesperson. It was a clean sweep for all eight endorsed candidates Tuesday night, with Underwood and Foster's picks slated to win. Although they were running for a nonpartisan position, White, Holzhauer, Syed and Gibson deciding to join forces and securing Underwood and Foster's endorsements sent a clear message about where they stood, they said. 'A lot of this comes down to where your values align,' White said, 'and with our congressional representatives, there was synergy as far as alignment on values there.' 'You need to be up front with voters,' Gibson said. 'Just because you say I align with one party or the other party doesn't mean you can't work with everyone. If we're all involved with public policy, which we are as council members, you should have opinions on policies. And if you're saying you don't, I think it's a little disingenuous.' 'We were very clear,' Syed said, 'about what we are … and very clearly we said yes, 'I have democratic values, and I am running on these values.'' That transparency is, in part, what Syed believes stuck a chord with voters Tuesday, he said. Holzhauer echoed Syed, saying that for him, 'I feel like my No. 1 duty is to be truthful to voters. So, if they ask me where I stand on national issues I'm just going to be honest. And I think for a lot of voters that resonated in this election.' For some, though, the approach has sparked concerns over partisanship bleeding into nonpartisan matters. To DuPage County Republicans Chairman Kevin Coyne, the tactic was 'unprecedented locally,' he said. 'They ran an overtly partisan slate for city council,' he said, a move he says is a 'frightening sign of things to come for Naperville.' DuPage Republicans did not formally endorse anyone in the race for council, Coyne said. Coyne's political action committee did, however, endorse three candidates: incumbent Jennifer Bruzan Taylor alongside challengers Derek McDaniel and Meghna Bansal. The PAC also backed two candidates for park board, Zachary Jarrell and Natalia Dagenhart. In unofficial returns, all five lost their respective bids. Bruzan Taylor, who has sat on council since 2021, was out of the running for reelection by just over 2,000 votes, dependent on mail-in ballots yet to be counted. For park board, the difference between the fourth- and fifth- highest vote-getters was 2,281 votes. DuPage Republicans did, on occasion, signal support for the same candidates on social media but Coyne says that was a reaction to involvement across the aisle. 'It was somewhat of a surprise that you had high-ranking party leaders involved in a local race like that … and so we saw (some candidates) getting out there and getting beat up a little bit by the other side and we wanted to do what we could to help them. Obviously, it wasn't enough, unfortunately.' Bansal, who was the sixth-highest vote-getter in unofficial returns, said she was 'completely stunned' when results came in Tuesday. 'It was very clearly visible that the slate is winning because they are totally attached with one party line,' she said. McDaniel in an emailed statement said, 'We ran this campaign the Naperville way — by focusing on issues, not party identity.' Jaiswal could not be reached for comment but said in a social media statement Wednesday that in a 'city polarized by party lines, the outcome did not align' with his 'independent agenda.' Bruzan Taylor said that since the election, she's had 'such an outpouring from people shocked … saying that they're sad to see this was about partisanship.' She added that she wouldn't change anything about the campaign that she ran. 'I stayed focused on the issues only,' she said. 'I stayed nonpartisan, as these are supposed to be.' Still, others say partisanship isn't — and shouldn't be — necessarily unwelcome. Dianne McGuire, vice chair of the Democratic Party of DuPage County, says she's 'not a big fan of nonpartisan races, frankly.' They depress turnout, she said. 'I'd like to see more openness about where people are in their value system,' McGuire said, 'and party labels say something about where your values are.' The sentiment was shared — and promoted — across the state. The Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) backed 280 candidates in Tuesday's election, according to DPI Executive Director Ben Hardin. Among those included Naperville's now eight apparent winners for council and park board. 'It's something the party hasn't done in the past, right? Working in these nonpartisan municipal elections,' Hardin said. 'We came to the decision (of), you know, screw precedent here. We need to defend our values. And we did.' DPI supported candidates by sending mail, digital and SMS communications to Democratic voters, Hardin said. Ultimately, of the candidates DPI supported, 222 — or 79% — won their races, Hardin said. Speaking to the results in Naperville, he said, 'We are so thrilled … I mean we, like, cleaned house.' tkenny@
Chicago Tribune
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Partisan politics in Naperville's nonpartisan election raises questions over how future races will be run
Just after unofficial results in the race for Naperville City Council rolled in Tuesday night, Ian Holzhauer weaved through supporters to make a speech. Packed into a room at the back of Lou Malnati's in downtown Naperville, eyes turned to Holzhauer as the incumbent positioned himself under an arch of red, white and blue balloons. 'Look at what we did,' Holzhauer said to the audience, 'four out of four.' Holzhauer joined fellow incumbent Benny White and newcomers Mary Gibson and Ashfaq Syed in securing the four open seats. In the months leading up to Election Day, the group coordinated their campaigns and were often seen pictured together on flyers and promoting one another in messaging and across social media. But beyond just aligning themselves, the candidates received the backing of both prominent Naperville Democrats and the party itself, a move that has raised questions over the role political parties are playing in traditionally nonpartisan races. 'You need to be up front with voters' Over the first few weeks of March, White, Holzhauer, Syed and Gibson each took to social media to make an announcement: they had been endorsed by Democratic U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood and Bill Foster, both Naperville residents. The candidates circulated pictures of themselves standing alongside the congressional members. Underwood endorsed through her Farm Team political action committee, which she created in 2019 to help elect candidates to state and local office across Illinois' 14th congressional district. In addition to weighing in on the council race, Underwood's PAC also endorsed four candidates for Naperville Park Board: Rhonda Ansier, Leslie Ruffing, Alison Thompson and Aishwarya Balakrishna. Foster issued the same endorsements, according to a campaign spokesperson. It was a clean sweep for all eight endorsed candidates Tuesday night, with Underwood and Foster's picks slated to win. Although they were running for a nonpartisan position, White, Holzhauer, Syed and Gibson deciding to join forces and securing Underwood and Foster's endorsements sent a clear message about where they stood, they said. 'A lot of this comes down to where your values align,' White said, 'and with our congressional representatives, there was synergy as far as alignment on values there.' 'You need to be up front with voters,' Gibson said. 'Just because you say I align with one party or the other party doesn't mean you can't work with everyone. If we're all involved with public policy, which we are as council members, you should have opinions on policies. And if you're saying you don't, I think it's a little disingenuous.' 'We were very clear,' Syed said, 'about what we are … and very clearly we said yes, 'I have democratic values, and I am running on these values.'' That transparency is, in part, what Syed believes stuck a chord with voters Tuesday, he said. Holzhauer echoed Syed, saying that for him, 'I feel like my No. 1 duty is to be truthful to voters. So, if they ask me where I stand on national issues I'm just going to be honest. And I think for a lot of voters that resonated in this election.' For some, though, the approach has sparked concerns over partisanship bleeding into nonpartisan matters. 'Unprecedented' partisanship To DuPage County Republicans Chairman Kevin Coyne, the tactic was 'unprecedented locally,' he said. 'They ran an overtly partisan slate for city council,' he said, a move he says is a 'frightening sign of things to come for Naperville.' DuPage Republicans did not formally endorse anyone in the race for council, Coyne said. Coyne's political action committee, Safe Suburbs USA, did, however, endorse three candidates: incumbent Jennifer Bruzan Taylor alongside challengers Derek McDaniel and Meghna Bansal. The PAC also backed two candidates for park board, Zachary Jarrell and Natalia Dagenhart. In unofficial returns, all five lost their respective bids. Bruzan Taylor, who has sat on council since 2021, was out of the running for reelection by just over 2,000 votes, dependent on mail-in ballots yet to be counted. For park board, the difference between the fourth- and fifth- highest vote-getters was 2,281 votes. DuPage Republicans did, on occasion, signal support for the same candidates on social media but Coyne says that was a reaction to involvement across the aisle. 'It was somewhat of a surprise that you had high-ranking party leaders involved in a local race like that … and so we saw (some candidates) getting out there and getting beat up a little bit by the other side and we wanted to do what we could to help them. Obviously, it wasn't enough, unfortunately.' Bansal, who was the sixth-highest vote-getter in unofficial returns, said she was 'completely stunned' when results came in Tuesday. 'It was very clearly visible that the slate is winning because they are totally attached with one party line,' she said. McDaniel in an emailed statement said, 'We ran this campaign the Naperville way — by focusing on issues, not party identity.' Jaiswal could not be reached for comment but said in a social media statement Wednesday that in a 'city polarized by party lines, the outcome did not align' with his 'independent agenda.' Bruzan Taylor said that since the election, she's had 'such an outpouring from people shocked … saying that they're sad to see this was about partisanship.' She added that she wouldn't change anything about the campaign that she ran. 'I stayed focused on the issues only,' she said. 'I stayed nonpartisan, as these are supposed to be.' Still, others say partisanship isn't — and shouldn't be — necessarily unwelcome. Drawing on party lines Dianne McGuire, vice chair of the Democratic Party of DuPage County, says she's 'not a big fan of nonpartisan races, frankly.' They depress turnout, she said. 'I'd like to see more openness about where people are in their value system,' McGuire said, 'and party labels say something about where your values are.' The sentiment was shared — and promoted — across the state. The Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) backed 280 candidates in Tuesday's election, according to DPI Executive Director Ben Hardin. Among those included Naperville's now eight apparent winners for council and park board. 'It's something the party hasn't done in the past, right? Working in these nonpartisan municipal elections,' Hardin said. 'We came to the decision (of), you know, screw precedent here. We need to defend our values. And we did.' DPI supported candidates by sending mail, digital and SMS communications to Democratic voters, Hardin said. Ultimately, of the candidates DPI supported, 222 — or 79% — won their races, Hardin said. Speaking to the results in Naperville, he said, 'We are so thrilled … I mean we, like, cleaned house.'
Chicago Tribune
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters to the Editor: Holzhauer's positive actions stand out on divisive council; Mendrick wrong on almost every point in gubernatorial bid
Holzhauer's positive actions stand out on divisive council 'Public debate,' 'fight' and 'heated' are some of the words used in the last two years to describe Naperville City Council meetings. They have become openly partisan and divisive in the last two years, lacking the cooperation and good governance goals of previous councils that resulted in many accolades being bestowed upon Naperville. Council member Ian Holzhauer has been the target of some of the partisan attacks, yet he has managed to rise above the political fray and even defend fellow council members also singled out on the dais. Holzhauer has deep connections to Naperville, as a resident and public servant, and it shows in his consistent efforts to support such things as housing for disabled adults, increased funding for mental health for our police and firefighters, and the planned extension of the Riverwalk to Edward Hospital. And who can forget his support of the LGBTQ+ community when members of this same council singled out NaperPride and wanted to eliminate their SECA funding? His pushback resulted in their regaining funding for their event at Naper Settlement. He also recently used his knowledge as a contract lawyer in the discussion regarding the early contract renewal requested by the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, offering some cogent reasons as to why the city should be wary of their request. Local bodies of government are likely to feel the effects of the turmoil in Washington, D.C., in the coming years before the next election, and Naperville will benefit from having council members like Ian Holzhauer dedicated to serving Naperville and working with his colleagues towards a common goal. We also recommend fellow incumbent Councilman Benny White and newcomers Mary Gibson and Ashfaq Syed to voters as candidates who believe in cooperation, instead of the sniping and partisan stunts we have seen from the present council. Steve and Nancy Turner, Naperville Mendrick wrong on almost every point in gubernatorial bid I read with skepticism the March 2 article regarding DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick's run for governor. His first problem is the city of Chicago, which he says, based on everyone he's asked, should be run more like DuPage County. Obviously he didn't get outside of his own circle with that question. Next he disparages the state's SAFE-T Act, which eliminates cash bail for nonviolent offenders. His jail would be pretty full and taxpayers would be paying a lot more money if criminals like shoplifters were kept in jail just because they couldn't make bail. Then he moves on to the sanctuary laws barring local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. This is clearly a stab at people of color. They don't look like you so you don't want them here. Next, he was among several county sheriffs who said they would not enforce provisions of the state's ban on certain high-powered, semiautomatic weapons while also saying he will make our state safe again. How are we supposed to be safe when anyone can own a high-powered, semiautomatic weapon? Next he's on to taking away freedoms. 'Your entire way of life is changing,' he says. Does he mean my freedom to go to a movie or the mall without fear of being mowed down because he doesn't want to enforce the state's gun laws? Or does he mean the freedom of white men to run the show and no one else counts? And then there was the zinger I knew was coming: God. Democrats have taken God out of society. 'I'm a strong believer in God. I believe that's how I get to where I go,' he said. No arrogance there. Democrats, who want equal rights and freedoms for all, safety for all and the ability to live without the fear of being shot? Who want to protect the freedom to love who you want, have a family when you want, live where you want? Democrats took God out of society? Democrats are the party that wants all people treated as human beings. Yes, our entire way of life is changing and under Republican ideology, not for the better. The citizens of this county and this country need to work toward leaving a better world for our children and grandchildren. That picture should include welcoming everyone to our society, banning weapons that eliminate dozens of people in seconds and not electing arrogant men who think God has called them to do exactly the opposite of what God has told everyone to do. Brenda McDowell, Naperville Council candidates need to say how they'll achieve change The several candidates for Naperville City Council all sound alike. They seem to want what they perceive we the voters want. How do we tell the difference? They need to tell us how they plan on achieving these goals. That would be something of substance to help us decide. Dave Parta, Naperville Proposed massive EPA cuts endanger environment, health President Trump and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced at the recent cabinet meeting that they plan to cut EPA staffing and budget up to 65%. Hundreds of EPA staff have already been terminated. The EPA has a permanent staff of about 15,000. A cut of 65% would reduce the staffing to the level the agency had when it was created in 1970 — about 5,000. That would in effect almost eliminate what EPA is all about, protecting the environment and public health. In an op-ed in The New York Times, three former EPA administrators reported that 'between 1970 and 2019 EPA cut emissions of common air pollutants by 77 percent while private sector jobs grew 223 percent and our gross domestic product grew almost 300 percent.' In addition, thousands of toxic contaminated sites have been cleaned up; water pollution has been greatly reduced, making most streams 'fishable and swimmable' throughout the country; and safe drinking water was achieved throughout the country. Multiple studies have shown that the health benefits of work done by EPA outweigh the costs by more than 30 to 1. Such large spending and staffing cuts as being proposed would eliminate such things as monitoring air and water quality, responding to natural disasters and lead abatement in our water supply, among many other agency functions. Critical to Naperville citizens, there have been truly major actions taken by EPA to protect the waters of the Great Lakes, the source of our drinking water. Naperville has received millions of dollars in grant money from EPA to improve our wastewater treatment plant and to improve our infrastructure for water supply. The draconian and reckless cuts to EPA, an effective agency with a record of huge successes, are unwise and extremely shortsighted. It is up to Congress to ensure the EPA has the resources to do its job. Weakening environmental protections isn't just bad policy, it's a direct threat to public health and future generations. Every citizen should protest these planned cuts by contacting their elected representatives to stop this insanity. Dale Bryson, Naperville McBroom's revisionist history bolsters Gibson's candidacy Regarding Naperville City Councilman Josh McBroom's recent column about city council candidates (Naperville Sun, Feb. 24), anyone who follows the council and park board knows his revisionist history regarding the ethics inquiry against him stems from his violation of Naperville Park Board policy by condemning a board action, undermining the executive director and staff's ability to do their job, and from posting a smiley emoji in response to a Facebook comment body-shaming women. Although park district counsel found that he violated board policy, counsel felt it didn't warrant censure since Mr. McBroom 'learned his lesson.' He apologized to then-park district Executive Director Ray McGury and staff. Why is he now playing the victim? Perhaps remembering this brush with censure, he voted to revoke city council's ethics ordinance. He also caused Naperville to be negatively portrayed nationally by exploiting the difficulties of undocumented people finding shelter. Why? To 'show the hypocrisy of progressives.' Do we want council members who persist in creating controversy and sowing conflict among fellow council members, or are we better served by council and park district members who are committed to working collaboratively and constructively for Naperville residents? A candidate for city council who will do that is Mary Gibson. Her tenure on the park board has been exemplary. She developed and implemented the current three-year strategic plan, stretching the budget while championing inclusive and accessible park and facility designs, and expanding programs and partnerships to reflect the rich diversity of our community. These successes led to her being awarded master board member status from the Illinois Association of Park Districts. Elected unanimously as board president three times by her fellow commissioners, even Mr. McBroom voted for her when he was on the board. She is running a grassroots campaign, unlike Derek McDaniel and Meghna Bansal, who have both received $20,000 from a business PAC. Mary will represent Naperville residents and will bring her effective collaborative style to Naperville City Council. I'm looking forward to it.
