CONTACT:
Gwen Pepin
[email protected]
Chicago, IL – The Democratic Party of Illinois’ 2025 municipal program is proud to have supported significant wins across Illinois—-such as John Laesch’s victory over Richard Irvin in the closely-watched Aurora mayoral race—-as well as electing all four party-aligned candidates to the Naperville City Council and winning all contested Normal Township offices for Democratic candidates.
“Local elections matter,” DPI Chair Lisa Hernandez said. “They affect our children, our pocketbooks and our communities. That’s why DPI put in countless hours this election cycle to show up for Illinois families, organizing at the most hyperlocal levels. I’m proud of every single candidate who stood up to run for local office to defend our values and I’m proud of our Party’s commitment to beating back right-wing extremism and regressive candidates. Tonight’s results are a snapshot of the Party’s victories and we look forward to recording more wins for Democrats as votes continue to be counted.”
“For weeks, the Party has been making sure voters know which candidates are aligned with Democratic values and which ones will take their communities down the wrong path,” DPI Executive Director Ben Hardin said. “In addition, DPI provided candidates with the training, mentorship and tools they needed to run efficient and effective campaigns. Our comprehensive direct mail, digital, and text communications programs raised awareness of these critical local races to help supported candidates win.”
In 2023, under Chair Lisa Hernandez’s leadership, the Party made clear its commitment to preventing extremist conservatives from implementing regressive platforms on school and library boards. This cycle, as national politics dominate the political ecosystem and impact the daily lives of working Illinoisans, DPI built upon 2023’s program to continue defending its values and meet voters where they are–including the most local offices.
The Party’s mail and digital advertising investment reached hundreds of thousands of Democratic voters in target regions across Illinois, and highlighted the Trump–aligned conservatives on the ballot, as well as supported the credible, commonsense community advocates that DPI recommends. As part of the program, DPI launched https://votelocalillinois.com/, a candidate lookup tool to help voters find and support endorsed Democrats in their communities. In addition to supporting candidates already on the ballot, DPI and Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association (IDCCA)’s candidate recruitment program helped ensure that strong Democrats step up to run for local office in future cycles.
