'Excited To Get To Work': Lora Vitek Wins St. Charles Mayor Race

ST. CHARLES, IL — Lora Vitek declared victory Wednesday morning in her race against Maureen Lewis to succeed outgoing Mayor Raymond Rogina.

Vitek held a significant lead over Lewis, with all votes counted from all St. Charles precincts in Kane and DuPage counties. Vitek earned 2,020 votes (56.4 percent) to Lewis' 1,559 votes (43.6 percent), according to unofficial election results.

In a short message posted to Facebook, Vitek thanked her supporters and children, and she said she is eager to get started in her new job.

"I'm excited to get to work and continue the progress that makes St. Charles a place that we are all proud to call home," Vitek wrote.

Vitek was elected in 2017 to represent St. Charles' 4th Ward, while Lewis was appointed in 2010 to represent the 5th Ward. Lewis was re-elected to the City Council three times.

One of the first major acts for the new mayor will be to name a successor to longtime City Administrator Mark Koenen, who is retiring after nearly 40 years of service to St. Charles in various roles.

No one ran for St. Charles city clerk or treasurer.

CITY COUNCIL RACES

Unlike most cities throughout the region, there were no uncontested races for seats on the St. Charles City Council.

With all 11 precincts reporting totals, Bryan Wirball leads John Hoscheit by a single vote (402-401) in the race to replace Vitek as one of two aldermen from St. Charles' 4th Ward. Laurel Moad earned 139 votes in the three-way race, unofficial results show.

Incumbent 1st Ward Ald. Ronald Silkaitis is projected to defeat Richard Balla Jr. for re-election. Silkaitis led Balla by more than 20 percentage points (61 percent to 39 percent), according to unofficial results.

Challenger Ryan Bongard earned more than 64 percent of the vote in his race to unseat incumbent 2nd Ward Ald. Arthur Lemke, unofficial results show.

Paul Lencioni is projected to win his race against Charles Amenta for an open seat in Ward 3. Lencioni earned 57 percent of the vote to Amenta's 37.9 percent.

Steve Weber holds a significant lead over Richard Artz and Kimberly Malay in the race to replace Lewis as 5th Ward alderman. Weber earned 43.8 percent of the vote to Malay's 27.1 percent and Artz's 25.7 percent, according to the Kane County Clerk's Office.

DISTRICT 303 SCHOOL BOARD

Incumbents Edward McNally, Heidi Fairgrieve and Carolyn Waibel are leading their races for re-election to the St. Charles District 303 Board of Education.

Jim Stombres holds a slim lead over Kate Bell for the fourth seat (2,992 votes to 2,968 votes), unofficial results show.

PARK AND LIBRARY DISTRICT

Four incumbents — Brain Charles, Steven Ward, Karrsten Goettel and Bob Carne —are projected to win re-election to the St. Charles Park District Board of Commissioners, as they faced no other opponents.

Mary Kruse, Claudia Frost and Michael Hill are projected to defeat Bonnie Dauer and Joseph Gay in the race for three open seats on the St. Charles Public Library Board of Trustees, according to unofficial election results.

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP

St. Charles Township's administration is expected to remain the same after the 2021 Consolidated Election, with four incumbents running unopposed to keep the township's top offices.

Ronald Johnson is projected to win re-election as supervisor, with Terry Cross continuing as clerk, Diane Hemmingsen as assessor and Steve Frohling as highway commissioner.

Mary Lynn Swanson, Todd Wallace, Jerry Swanson and James Flanigan are projected to defeat William Kevin Bachman and Jeffrey Jerdee in the race for four seats on the St. Charles Township Board of Trustees.

Incumbents Wallace, Mary Lynn Swanson, Jerry Swanson and Jerdee ran as a slate against Flanigan and Bachman, who were independents.

REGIONAL RACES

Incumbents Jeffrey Meyer and Donna Redmer are projected to win re-election to the Elgin Community College Board of Trustees, after holding off challengers Joyce Fountain and Adraina Barriga-Green, according to unofficial election results.

Winfried Cordell Cooper Jr. is projected to win a six-year term on the Kane County Regional Board of School Trustees. He was the only candidate for three seats on the board.