Cesar Guerrero, 25, Declares Joliet City Council Victory

JOLIET, IL — Cesar Guerrero has defeated JJC Board President Bob Wunderlich in the race to fill the last open at-large seat on the Joliet City Council. The 25-year-old Guerrero becomes the first Latino ever elected to citywide office in Joliet, according to Tuesday's news release.

Guerrero's campaign annnounced that he overcame his election night deficit of 55 votes with a strong showing in mail-in ballots that left him 15 votes ahead of Wunderlich, enough to make him the first Latino in Joliet history to be elected to city-wide office.

“The people of Joliet have been calling out for someone who will stand up to the special interests and fight for the working families who deserve a fair shake,” Guerrero said in Tuesday's victory announcement. “What this campaign showed is that Cesar Guerrero was in this race for the right reasons, that I am willing to stand up to bullies and say NO to Northpoint, to fight for equity and justice, and for the right that every family has to clean, affordable water.

"I am so grateful to my community for standing with me and selecting me to serve as Joliet’s next city councilor. I look forward to continuing to work with my community to speak truth to power and change the way things work in the Joliet City Council.”

Along with being supported by hundreds of small donations by city residents, Guerrero said he gained the endorsements of progressive Congresswoman Marie Newman and Congressmen Chuy Garcia along with Food and Water Action, Sunrise Movement, Illinois Nurses Associations, Unite25, and Workers United.

Guerrero said he is committed to ensuring his success is just the first step in reforming the city government to work towards the needs of everyday residents and not just the politically connected.

There were 12 candidates for the three open seats on the Joliet City Council. The other two winners were four-term incumbent Jan Quillman and retired Joliet police officer Joe Clement. The victories of Quillman and Clement should ensure that Mayor Bob O'Dekirk has the majority support on the City Council.

The mayor's adversaries on the Council have included: Bettye Gavin, Pat Mudron and Sherri Reardon.