Could Trump Impact Bolingbrook Election?

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Residents will cast their ballots in local elections on Tuesday, and last fall's presidential could play a role.

In what's been a heated campaign, longtime Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar and his Bolingbrook First slate are facing off against challenger Jackie Traynere and the Bolingbrook United slate.

Claar, now marking his 31st year in office, has drawn criticism from protesters and his opponent for his support of President Donald Trump, whose election in November has been a polarizing event for some.

In September, the mayor hosted a fundraiser for Trump — with tickets ranging from $1,000 to $250,000 — at Bolingbrook Golf Club, drawing both supporters and protesters carrying signs including "No bigots" and "Trump equals hate." Similarly, the grand opening of Trump's Bolingbrook First campaign headquarters in February drew protest from a grassroots group looking to link the mayor to the president.

In her Bolingbrook Patch candidate questionnaire, Traynere — currently a Will County board member — compared Claar to Trump. "He has looked out for his own interests above anyone else's, continued to support candidates like Donald Trump even after 66% of our town voted against Trump’s brand of bigotry and voted for Hillary Clinton," she said. Traynere has also cited a June 2016 Moody's report stating that the Village of Bolingbrook has $316.9 million in general obligation bond debt.

Claar told WGN he believes Traynere chose to run against him due to the Trump fundraiser. "I doubt she would have run otherwise," he said. "I've had many people tell me, 'I was disappointed, but I've forgiven you.'"

Claar told the New York Times he doesn't regret the fundraiser, saying, "“I’m disappointed that some people will take that one thing over 31 years and that’s it.”

Claar has also been critical of Traynere's campaign, accusing her of deception after her campaign manager attended a coffee he held for residents of a Bolingbrook apartment complex. The mayor said Drew Duzinskas stayed for around 45 minutes, taking part in a round-table discussion before admitting he worked for Traynere when he was asked what he did.

“He probably wanted to hear what I was saying (and) see if I said anything about his candidate,” said Claar, who also said he felt good "about where we are in this campaign" and was looking forward to the election.

In a Facebook Live interview, Claar took aim at negative campaign mailers that he called "pretty ugly" and disputed her claims about massive village debt, noting, "There's no question that in a literal sense it's debt; we prefer to think of it as an infrastructure investment."

Before you head to the polls, here's a reminder of who's running for office in the Village of Bolingbrook:

• Election 2017: Village of Bolingbrook Candidate Questionnaires

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Click here to find your polling place.