Candidate Withdraws From Race For Glenview Village Trustee

GLENVIEW, IL — One of three candidates in a new party challenging the caucus-endorsed trio of trustee hopefuls announced Wednesday his intention to drop out of the race for Glenview Village Board following last week's vote to opt in to higher minimum wage and earned sick leave.

Tom Greenhaw said he has filed paperwork with the village to withdraw his candidacy as part of the Better Government in Glenview party, leaving six remaining candidates seeking three open seats in April's municipal elections.

Greenhaw, a Glenview native and founder of a retail software company, cited the Village Board's recent vote to abide by Cook County's minimum wage and sick leave ordinances as his reason for withdrawing. In a statement, he said he initially got into the race because of his strong support for a living wage and reasonable earned sick leave for people working in Glenview.

"Opting out of the Cook County minimum wage and sick leave ordinances was the wrong decision for our community and the workers at our local businesses. I have been proud to stand with a diverse group of residents, workers, labor unions, non-profits, religious organizations, and elected officials to provide community input and hold the Village Board accountable to the voters of our community."

Greenhaw thanked Village President Jim Patterson and trustees Kerry Cummings, Michael Jenny and Karim Khoja for voting to opt in to both ordinances, effective July 1.

"I am grateful and heartened that the Village Board recently voted to opt-in to both ordinances, which will drastically improve the lives of so many families in and around Glenview," he said. "In light of this development, I have filed paperwork with the Glenview Village Clerk’s office to withdraw my candidacy for Glenview Village Trustee. I will continue to be an advocate for responsive and transparent government as a citizen of Glenview."

Greenhaw told Patch he is still considering his involvement, if any, in the election going forward. He said he appreciated Jenny's support of opting to the Cook County labor regulations, and it was likely he would continue supporting the remaining pair of Better Government in Glenview candidates – Dia Morgan and Cathy Wilson – in some way.

The remaining candidates for the Glenview Village Board of Trustees include three from the caucus-selected slate of dubbed Citizens for Glenview, marketing consultant Mary Cooper, District 30 school board President Chuck Gitles and incumbent Trustee Michael Jenny, the sole incumbent in the race.

University of Illinois at Chicago sophomore Benjamin Polony survived a petition challenge connected to supporters of the Better Government in Glenview Party and will appear on the ballot as an independent candidate.

Trustee Philip White is stepping down after more than three terms in office, while former trustee and Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton's successor, former village president and current Trustee Kerry Cummings, is ineligible to appear on the ballot. Early voting in the April 2 election begins March 18.