Incumbents Win Handily In Palos Area Races

PALOS, IL — Incumbents won handily in Palos-area election contests, with many races uncontested. All results are unofficial until the 2021 consolidated election is certified by the Cook County Clerk.

Long time Palos Hills Mayor Gerald Bennett handily won against challenger Sandy Szczygiel, winning 1,705 votes to his opponent’s 941.

Challenger Damian Ciszek came up short with 858 votes against entrenched incumbent Kenneth Nolan for Palos Hills city treasurer. Nolan garnered 1,671 votes.

Sharon Brannigan is out as a member of the Palos Township board. The embattled trustee drew the ire of the area’s Arab American community when she made disparaging remarks about Muslims on social media in 2017. The township board’s monthly meetings have been subjected to protestors, demanding Brannigan’s resignation.

Brannigan was absent from the Palos Township Independent Party slate. She ran solo but lost her bid for township assessor, coming up short with 2,299 votes to incumbent Robert Maloney’s 3,763.

There were also two lively elementary school board races with crowded candidate fields. Susan Szafranski, Mark Kelly, Timothy J. Baker and Jennifer Marie Jensen were the top four vote getters.

Palos Consolidated Community Dist. 118

Timothy J. Baker - 1,507
Mark Kelly - 1,719
Jennifer Marie Jensen - 1,490
Susan M. Szafranski - 1,784
Terrence M. Heafey - 1,188
Edward Gal - 995
Donald H Jeanes - 1,291

Over in North Palos Dist. 117, Ron Moran, Deborah Groark, Barbara Rebidas and Ewa Bochenski beat out a field of six candidates.

North Palos Dist. 117

Ron Moran - 1,487
Deborah Groark - 1,429
Barbara Rebidas - 1,459
Ewa Bochenski - 1,430
Marzena Luberda - 1,007
Steve Stratakos - 1,231