Election 2023
Central Illinoisans will head to the polls to decide on mayors, alderpersons, school boards, and other positions and topics on Tuesday, April 4. In-person early voting begins on February 23.
Champaign County
Mayor of Champaign
There are three candidates in the race for Champaign mayor. Eighty-nine thousand people, the University of Illinois, Parkland College, and other industries call Champaign home.
School Board
Voters must fill four seats on the Champaign Unit 4 School Board this year. The candidates are listed below. Three seats held by Gianna Baker, Bruce Brown and Heather Vazquez are not up for reelection this year. In the Urbana School District 116, all of the Board subdistrict seats are up for election but all of the seats are uncontested, meaning there are no challengers to the current candidates.
- Jamar Brown: served on the board 2011-2015. He is the facilities operations coordinator at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Amy Armstrong: current board president, served on the board since 2015, self-described advocate for students with intellectual disabilities.
- Elizabeth (Betsy) Holder: personal injury attorney who formed the Holder Law Group.
- Jeffrey G. Brownfield: retired executive director of the State Universities Civil Service System.
- Mark Thies: financial advisor at Edward Jones.
- Mark A. Holm: business owner.
- Albert J. Zwettler: employment service program manager at DSC (Developmental Service Center), an organization that assists people with disabilities.
- Jordan Rock
- Jeffrey Banister
- Kyle Jordan
- Athena Marie LaReau
- Rebecca Severns
- John Brotherton
- Katherine Johnston
- Diana Mendoza
- Janet Brotherton
- Monica Hall
- Roger Quinlan
- Benjamin Baxley – Subdistrict 7
- Paul Poulosky – Subdistrict 5
- Ravishankar Hasanadka – Subdistrict 2
- Citaly Yuritzi Stanton – Subdistrict 1
- Sheri Langendorf – Subdistrict 3
- Torionna L. Exum – Subdistrict 6
Related Stories
Illinois sees a rise in divisive school board races
School board seats are among the positions up for grabs, but what once were fairly sedate races have become charged with political rhetoric across the country including here in the 21st state. Some candidates are running on decidedly partisan stances from limiting teaching about systemic racism and Black history to banning transgender students from using bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.
Champaign County puts out the call for election judges for April 4
Tuesday, March 28 is the deadline for formal announcement of polling locations for the April 4 consolidated local elections in Illinois. In Champaign County, the county clerk’s office says the number of polling places will depend on how many election judges they can recruit. County Clerk Aaron Ammons says as of right now, Champaign County is well short of the number of judges he would like to have.
Mayor Williams & challenger Vinson discuss issues in Danville mayoral candidates debate
The two candidates for mayor of Danville, incumbent Rickey Williams Jr., and Vermilion Housing Authority executive director Jackie Vinson, answered questions Monday night at forum held at Danville Area Community College.
Teacher, custodian unions grill candidates for Champaign Unit 4 school board on shortages, Black Lives Matter
About three-quarters of districts in Illinois are struggling to hire bus drivers, cafeteria workers and teachers’ aides. Workers in Champaign want to know how future board members will help them.
Some school board candidates this year are pushing to limit lessons on Black history. Where do Champaign Unit 4 candidates stand?
Six candidates say students should learn African American history and the history of racism. The seventh, business owner Mark Holm, declined to be interviewed.
Vermilion County
Mayor of Danville
There are two candidates in the race for Danville mayor. Thirty-three thousand people, Danville Area Community College, Lakeview College of Nursing, and a growing number of Cannabis and gambling operations are part of the community.
Jackie Vinson (Challenger) is the Executive Director of the Vermilion Housing Authority. She was formerly the director of the metropolitan planning organization for the City of Danville
Rickey Williams (incumbent) has served as mayor since 2018. He is first African American elected to the office. He studied politics and urban policy at Millikin and Emory Universities. He is a former missionary in Malawi and executive director at the Boys and Girls Club of Danville.
Jackie Vinson
Challenger
Rickey Williams, Jr.
Incumbent
School Board
- Tierra Brown
- Kimberly S. Corley
- Christopher Eaton
- Thomas Miller
- Tyson J. Parks
- Alice Payne
- Joe Buyno
- Connie Cannon
- Nancy Heiser Dalenberg
- Larry E. Daily
- Sam Fourez
- Susie Gardner
- Cathy Jenkins
- Mark Learnard
- Jeromy Spesard
- Lori L. Starwalt
Related Stories
Mayoral candidate Jackie Vinson outlines her vision for Danville
The April 4th ballot in Danville features two candidates for mayor: the current mayor, Rickey Williams Junior, and Jackie Vinson, the executive director of the Vermilion Housing Authority.
Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. cites “strong stewardship” as he seeks election to a second term.
Voters in Danville will decide if Rickey Williams Junior gets to serve a second full term as mayor, or if the job goes to Vermilion Housing Authority executive director Jackie Vinson.
Mayor Williams & challenger Vinson discuss issues in Danville mayoral candidates debate
The two candidates for mayor of Danville, incumbent Rickey Williams Jr., and Vermilion Housing Authority executive director Jackie Vinson, answered questions Monday night at forum held at Danville Area Community College.
Macon County
Mayor of Decatur
Incumbent Julie Moore-Wolfe is running unopposed for mayor. Sixty-nine thousand people, Millikin University, and production facilities for Caterpillar and Archer Daniels Midland are part of the community.
Julie Moore-Wolfe
Incumbent
School Board
The next school board members will tackle shortages among bus drivers and other staff, where to invest in school repairs and how to handle student discipline.
- Bill Clevenger (incumbent)
- Misty Fronk
- Jacob Jenkins
- Mark A. Reynolds
- Will Wetzel
- Hannah Wolfe
Related Stories
LGBTQ book bans have spiked nationwide. Where do Decatur school board candidates stand?
Movements to ban books – especially those with lesbian, gay, transgender or other queer characters – are making their way into local school board races.
That includes those running for three seats on the Decatur Public School Board of Education.