Hinsdale’s Kari Galassi will soon take up her post in the DuPage County boardroom after being one of three elected to represent the board’s District 3, which includes most of Hinsdale.
Republican Galassi’s 25,864 votes, representing 17.26 percent of the total cast in the six-way race, was second to Democrat Lucy Chang Evans’ 27,599 votes or 18.41 percent, according to unofficial vote totals from DuPage County. Republican incumbent Brian Krajewski was third with 25,148 votes or 16.78 percent.
“Obviously I’m happy with the outcome of my race,” Galassi said. “I felt like we had a great campaign team and everyone worked really hard on community (outreach).”
Fellow Republican and Hinsdale resident Greg Hart’s fell just short in his bid for DuPage County Board President, collecting 160,227 votes for a little more than 49 percent of the total versus 165,668 votes, or nearly 51 percent, for Democratic winner Deb Conroy.
“While the outcome was not what we hoped, I am very proud of the campaign we ran,” Hart said in a written statement, in which he also wished Conroy success and decried political extremes and opponent demonization. “We must reject those approaches and work together to build bipartisan consensus.”
Galassi, who helped lead the successful effort to pass the Hinsdale High School District 86 facility improvement referendum in 2019, said campaigning for office was a more complex endeavor.
“It was a learning experience in that way,” she said. “I think people knew my background helping with the D86 referendum and the NICU campaign at Hinsdale Hospital. I think people have seen the work I’d done on previous projects.”
Combating crime and concerns with the state’s SAFE-T Act motivated Galassi to run, she said, but working to find solutions is her goal.
“We’re not focused on the polarizing social issues that are causing so much division nationally,” Galassi said. “I want to try and do the best for DuPage whether financially or from a safety perspective.”
With 10 Democrats and eight Republicans elected to the board on Tuesday, Galassi, like Hart, said bipartisanship is essential.
“It is truly my goal to be a team player on this county board,” Galassi said. “I fought for issues on both sides of the aisle and hope to bridge the gap between Republicans and Democrats. We really have to come together to do what’s best, and I hope the other 17 board members echo that.”
In DuPage County Board District 2, which represents a portion of northern Hinsdale, Democrats Yeena Yoo and Liz Chaplin and Republican Sean Noonan were victorious.
For DuPage County Forest Preserve Commission, District 3 incumbent Republican Linda Painter won with 51.43 percent of the vote, while District 2 incumbent Democrat Tina Tyson-Dunne was re-elected with 53.29 percent of the vote.
And in the race for Illinois 45th House District, incumbent Republican Deanne Mazzochi survived a fierce challenge from Democratic challenger Jenn Ladisch Douglas by less than 250 votes, 20,609-20,380.
According to Capitol News Illinois, as of Wednesday Democrats appeared poised to extend their supermajority in the House from 73 of the 118 members to 77, with a few races still too close to call.
