Hinsdale-area voters will choose between two pairs of candidates in the DuPage County Forest Preserve District 2 and Cook County Board District 17 races on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot.
The Hinsdalean compiled questionnaire responses from three of the four candidates. The fourth, Republican Bill Wehrle, did not respond. His information was drawn from a Daily Herald online post, the newspaper noted.
Forest Preserve District 2
Commissioner Tina Tyson-Dunne, a Democrat from Lombard, has held the District 2 seat since 2020. She works as a consultant in corporate and personal finance and is a certified master naturalist who volunteers with the DuPage County Forest Preserve District.
Tyson-Dunne said she wants to continue protecting and restoring forest preserve lands while acquiring open space when possible. She listed preserving remaining open space in the county as her top priority, despite what she called the often high acquisition costs involved. She said her goal is to preserve DuPage County's natural heritage while making the forest preserves accessible and welcoming.
Her challenger, Wehrle, is president of Wehrle Insurance Network and holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Northern Illinois University. He cited wasteful spending on questionable items as his reason for running and said he would approach spending and salary increases with apprehension.
Cook County Board District 17
Both candidates in this race are seeking an open seat. The Chicago Tribune reported in an Oct. 15 endorsement editorial that incumbent Sean Morrison, the only Republican on the Cook County Board, decided to step aside.
Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman, a Republican from Orland Park, previously served as Cook County commissioner for the 17th District from 2002 to 2015. She later served as executive director of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority and as a director on the Regional Transportation Authority board from 2021 to 2026, according to the Hinsdalean profile.
Gorman said her private-sector work has better equipped her to be a fiscal steward. She listed property tax relief and Cook County's structural budget deficit as her top issues and proposed an independent review of county spending to find waste and opportunities for shared services.
Democrat Elyse Hoffenberg has served as clerk of Lyons Township since 2021 and was a member of the La Grange Elementary District 105 Board from 2017 to 2021. She holds a juris doctorate from DePaul University.
Hoffenberg said families deserve a government that respects their tax dollars. She named responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, infrastructure investment and economic development as her priorities.
The D17 race has drawn attention beyond policy. Patch reported that security camera footage from Hoffenberg's office showed a brief kiss between Hoffenberg and Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek. Hoffenberg said she told Landek it was inappropriate. The Tribune editorial noted Hoffenberg used her official position to block an initial FOIA request for the footage.
Ballots must be postmarked or placed in a drop box by Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
