Democrats Help LTHS Board Candidates

La GRANGE, IL – The state Democratic Party, the teachers union and a couple of big donors assisted progressives' campaigns for the Lyons Township High School board, records show.

Candidates and political action committees were required to turn in quarterly reports to the state Board of Elections by Monday.

On March 15, the Illinois Education Association's political arm spent $15,000 for digital ads, texts and mailers in the April 4 high school board election.

The union endorsed three progressives – board president Kari Dillon, member Jill Beda Daniels and candidate Tim Albores, all of whom prevailed. On Monday, the board approved a five-year teachers union contract with annual raises.

The Democratic Party spent $1,446 for Daniels and $1,625 for Albores on digital advertising. Dillon submitted no report because she apparently did not meet the threshold of $5,000 in contributions or spending.

The La Grange-based Support Our School committee attacked conservative candidates Tim Vlcek, Frank Evans and David Herndon. The group endorsed Dillon, Daniels and Albores and mailed flyers accusing the conservatives of being "right-wing activists." (A seventh candidate, Justin, Clark, who finished last, was not attacked by either side.)

The committee's biggest donor was Bonnie Atkinson of Burr Ridge, who donated $15,000. The other contributor, developer Mark Laubacher, who lives in Western Springs, gave $5,000. Both contributions were reported three days before the April 4 election.

The committee, which was formed March 23, did not file a quarterly report by the deadline.

The only candidates who formed committees were Daniels and Albores. Daniels self-funded her campaign, except for the Democrats' in-kind donations.

Albores, meanwhile, mainly received contributions from family members. One of his other donors was school board member Michael Thomas, who chipped in $200.

Daniels and Albores each raised about $5,700, according to their reports.