A new political era is set to arrive in Lincolnwood as Mayor Barry Bass has decided not to seek a second term.
With the announcement, village residents will have a contested mayoral election between two incumbent trustees, with separate battles forming for trustee and the Lincolnwood District 74 school board.
Bass was elected in 2017, when he easily defeated incumbent Jerry Turry. Bass said he decided about a month ago not to seek another four years as the village’s top elected official, believing he had met his objectives in terms of economic development and reforms within village government, among other issues.
“I never entered (politics) to make a career,” Bass said. “I achieved all the goals I set forth. Therefore it is time to pass the baton.”
With Bass stepping away, Trustees Jesal Patel and Georjean Nickell have filed the required amount of signatures to get on the ballot in next April’s election, according to the village manager’s office.
Patel has won the endorsement of the Lincolnwood Alliance Party, a longtime force in village politics.
The Lincolnwood Alliance slate also offers village trustee candidates, including incumbent Jean Ikezoe-Halevi, who is seeking a second four-year term, along with Grace Diaz Herrera and Mohammed Saleem, who are looking for their first terms.
The list of candidates running independently for village board trustee positions include incumbent Ronald Cope plus Sanhita Agnihotri, Stewart Sami Solaka and Raul Tomsa, according to Village Clerk Beryl Herman. Herman herself is running unopposed for reelection.
Lincolnwood Alliance Chairman chair Pam Lefkowitz said the traditional slating process occurred this year despite the coronavirus pandemic. She did not disclose how many residents applied for the positions that will be on the April ballot.
A wide-open race is brewing at Lincolnwood District 74 as nine candidates have filed for the four of seven seats that are open in this election. Board President Scott Anderson, Vice President Kevin Daly and board member Rupal Mandal are all seeking reelection. They will be joined on the ballot by Nashra Mohammed, Leah Brennan, Greg Peterson, Mateo Farzaneh, Lidia Kaihara and Peter Theodore, per the County Clerk website.
At the Lincolnwood Public Library, Richard Sloan, Michelle Kapusta and Heidi Hedstrom are all seeking election to the three board of trustees positions where terms have concluded, according to spokesperson Chris Renkosiak.
