Here Are Joliet Mayor's Top Donors For His Re-Election Campaign

JOLIET, IL — While Terry D'Arcy, president D'Arcy Motors, has raised more than $150,000 since announcing his candidacy for Joliet mayor in June, including $75,000 from his own money, two-term Mayor Bob O'Dekirk has at least $265,253 on hand for his re-election campaign, according to the Illinois Sunshine political donation website.

D'Arcy and O'Dekirk will face each other in the April 4 municipal elections. Five seats on the Joliet City Council are also contested. In 2019, O'Dekirk ran unopposed for re-election. O'Dekirk became mayor in 2015, after beating incumbent Tom Giarrante.

Joliet Patch has continued to examine the political campaign donations for both candidates.

In December, Patch ran a story focused on D'Arcy, headlined, "Who's Donating To Terry D'Arcy For Joliet Mayor?"

This article will focus on O'Dekirk's largest donors for his re-election effort.

On Sept. 28, prominent Joliet commercial real estate investment company owner, John Bays, contributed $3,500 on behalf of Bays Investment, to Citizens for O'Dekirk committee. Bays Investment also donated $3,500 to O'Dekirk's campaign on July 15, 2021. Since O'Dekirk became mayor in 2015, Bays Investment has donated a total of $9,000, according to the Illinois Sunshine political donation database.

In May 2021, Joliet Patch reported that Bays agreed to pay Joliet $151,000 to purchase the city's Scott Street parking garage, and Bays would now be responsible for any and all improvements to the property in downtown Joliet.

"I knew (Sherri) Reardon and (Pat) Mudron were going to vote no because they don't like the mayor, but it went through, and I'm excited," Bays told Joliet Patch during an interview after the vote.

"We had five to three, and the mayor didn't even have to vote," Bays said. "For me to keep bringing people downtown, I need more parking to move more companies downtown. Secondly, the deck needs a lot of repairs, and I need to fix it and put in an automated system."

Bays' two latest downtown Joliet property acquisitions have been the six-story Two Rialto Square Building next to the Rialto Square Theater and the Premier Building near the Jackson Street Bridge. Some of his other notable properties in downtown Joliet include the state of Illinois building on North Chicago Street, the Pioneer Building near the Will County Courthouse, the Bays Professional Centre on Cass Street and the Old National Bank property on Chicago Street.

Overall, Bays has said he has more than 400,000-square-feet of professional office space in downtown Joliet. In total, Bays said he has 1.2 million-square-feet of professional office space across Joliet.

Besides Bays, O'Dekirk has received donations from several businesses and developers, including from NorthPoint developers of the massive Compass Global Logistics Hub. The $2.6 billion logistics and light manufacturing park is said to create thousands of jobs and bring economic opportunity to the Southland. Construction got underway last summer off Route 53 out toward Elwood. In 2021 and again in 2022, East Gate Logistics, also known as NorthPoint, donated $10,000 toward O'Dekirk's political campaign committee.

Meanwhile, the Lenny's Gas N Wash Theodore & Drauden, Lenny's Food N Fuel, Lenny's Route 66 Fuel Stop and Lenny's Food N Fuel Vetter Road have donated a total of $20,000 to O'Dekirk's campaign since 2021.

In March, Joliet Patch reported that one year after opening his new Lenny's Food N Fuel at Drauden Road and Theodore Street, Lenny McEnery plans to build a second gas station and convenience store on Joliet's far west side. That proposed Gas N Wash at the northeast corner of Caton Farm Road and Ridge Road is near the Plainfield South High School campus.

Here's a rundown of notable contributions to O'Dekirk's re-election campaign made this year:

• Chicago Land Operators Joliet Labor Management PAC: $10,000, Sept. 28.
• East Gate Logistics (also known as NorthPoint): $10,000, Sept. 28.
• Lenny's Gas and Wash Theodore and Drauden: $5,000, Sept. 28.
• Lenny's Food N Fuel: $5,000, Sept. 28.
• PT Ferro Construction Company: $5,000, on Sept. 28.

• BF Tire Inc., $5,000, on Sept. 28.
• Bays Investment, $3,500, on Sept. 28.
• Rock Run Crossings, $3,100, on Sept. 28.
• Castle Law, $3,100, on Sept. 28.
• Austin Tyler Construction, $3,100, on Sept. 28.
• ADZ Trucking, Inc., $3,000, on Sept. 28.
• International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399, $2,500, Sept. 28.
• Joliet City Employees Local 440: $2,450, Sept. 28.
• Joliet Firefighters Union Local 44, $1,710, Sept. 28.
• Robinson Engineering, $1,600, Sept. 28.
• Arkas Restaurant Group, $1,500, Sept. 28.
• Contractors Association of Will & Grundy Counties, $1,500, Sept. 28.
• Pipefitters Association Local 597 UA, $1,500, Sept. 28.
• D Construction: $1,500, Sept. 28.
• Rendel's, $1,500, Sept. 28.
• Len Cox & Sons Excavating, $1,500, Sept. 28.
• Anchor Mechanical, Inc., $1,100, Sept. 28.
• B & J Towing Services, $1,100, Sept. 28.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC, $1,100, Sept. 28.
• Illinois & Michigan Oil, Inc., $1,100, Sept. 28.
• BL Duke, $1,000, Sept. 28.
• Liuna Chicago Laborers District Council: $1,000, Sept. 28.

O'Dekirk also received 21 donations between $200 and $850 during the year, plus two more donations back in January of $2,000:

Mr. Flatbed Inc., donated $2,000, on Jan. 15.

Samy's Lounge, Inc, doing business as Anthony's Restaurant & Pub, donated $2,000, on Jan. 15.