Did Elmhurst Politician Race-Bait In 2022?

ELMHURST, IL – Pete DiCianni, a Republican-turned-Democrat from Elmhurst, is facing an allegation that he race-baited in his 2022 campaign for a DuPage County office.

In the March 19 Democratic primary, DiCianni is running against incumbent Kathleen Carrier in the race for county recorder.

Last week, former longtime Secretary of State Jesse White revoked his endorsement of DiCianni. That was after he said he saw videos of what he called DiCianni's "inappropriate and divisive" behavior during a June 2020 pro-police rally in Elmhurst.

On Saturday, Patch obtained a mailer that DiCianni, a former Elmhurst mayor, sent in his failed campaign for County Board chairman against Hinsdale resident Greg Hart in the 2022 Republican primary.

In the piece, DiCianni denounced Hart's support for making Juneteenth a county holiday, which marks the ending of slavery.

DiCianni said the move would cost the county $780,000. This, DiCianni alleged, occurred while Hart, as a County Board member, voted to reduce the sheriff's office's budget.

Without explanation, DiCianni included a photo in the flyer of Hart posing for a photo with then-Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The mailer contains no information identifying Lightfoot by name, although her image is well-known in the Chicago area.

DiCianni did not directly respond Saturday to a question about Lightfoot's inclusion in the flyer.

Hart, meanwhile, answered Patch's inquiry with an emailed statement: "Race-baiting in politics was disgusting and disqualifying in 2022, and it remains so today. Any politician who would use such tactics has no business representing DuPage County residents as a member of either political party."

Lightfoot is African American, while DiCianni and Hart are white.

When calls for making Juneteenth a holiday spread nationwide in June 2020, Lightfoot rejected the idea at first, saying the city could not afford it. Meanwhile, Hart came out in support. Lightfoot reversed herself a year later.

When Patch asked DiCianni about the mailer Saturday, he responded with two ABC7 Chicago stories, saying, "Plenty of good earned media to choose from." The stories – one in 2019 and the other in 2016 – had nothing to do with Juneteenth.

One story was about DiCianni's efforts to compel private insurance companies to pay for autism treatment. He also called out Medicaid when the program shortchanged children. His daughter, Brianna, was the namesake for a 2008 state law requiring autism treatment, the TV station reported.

The other story credited DiCianni with persuading state and federal officials to release money for surgery for a 3-year-old girl suffering from a rare medical condition.