Fifth Candidate Triggers Possible Mayoral Primary

Caption: Naperville’s mayoral hopefuls: Radio station owner Matt Dubiel with his family; Naperville councilmen Doug Krause and Steve Chirico; dental office manager James Haselhorst; and former Naperville firefighter Marty Walker.

A fifth candidate declared Monday for Naperville’s crowded 2015 mayoral race, triggering a primary pending someone getting tossed off the ballot.

Matt Dubiel, a Naperville resident and owner of suburban-focused WCKG and Q101, threw in his chip for the open mayoral post left by departing Mayor George Pradel.

Pradel announced in 2011 that this would be his last term in office, marking the first time in 20 years that Naperville will have a mayoral primary and a brand new mayor.

A 38-year-old husband and father of four, a Dubiel campaign press release says he is the youngest of the five mayoral candidates running. He filed his candidacy papers at the Naperville city clerk’s office on Monday afternoon with his entire family in attendance.

“Naperville is known as a suburb that caters to young families and prides itself on safe neighborhoods, highly rated schools, and excellent community.” Dubiel said in his campaign announcement.

Dubiel further claimed that according to recent survey data, the median age in Naperville is 37 years old.

The other mayoral candidates include city council members Steve Chirico and Doug Krause, dental office manager James Haselhorst and retired firefighter and Exchange Club official Marty Walker.

Chirco was the first to announce his candidacy for Pradel’s seat in May 2013.

The two top vote getters in the Feb. 24 mayoral -- should everyone survive a ballot challenge, if any -- will face each other in an April runoff.

Dubiel was the only mayoral candidate to file on Monday. Five more candidates filed to run for eight available seats on city council.

Grant Wehrli is leaving the city council for his new gig as state representative for the 41st district in the Illinois House.