State Rep Candidates File to Run in Woodridge's Districts

Let the election season officially begin.

Candidates for state and local offices began filing their nominating petitions Monday for the March 20 primary election. Federal, state and judicial candidates file with the Illinois State Board of Elections in Springfield, while candidates for county-wide office file with the DuPage County Clerk.

The deadline to file is Monday, Dec. 5 at 5 p.m.

Those seeking a seat in Congress will have to wait a bit longer to file because of a GOP lawsuit challenging the state's newly drawn congressional boundaries. Last week, a U.S. district court ordered that the filing date be pushed back. The congressional filing period is now Friday, Dec. 23 through Tuesday, Dec. 27.

Following re-districting, Woodridge now falls into the 81st, 82nd and 85th Districts for state senators. 

As of 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, two candidates had filed for the 81st and one each had filed for the 82nd and 85th districts. 

81st District 

The 81st district is newly created and constitutes half of the previous 47th district. It includes parts of Downers Grove, Darien, Lisle, Woodridge, Westmont and Naperville. Petricia Bellock, who currently serves the 47th district, has decided not to run for the 81st, so there is no incumbent candidate. 

Deborah Boyle and Ron Sandack, both Republicans, filed their petitions Monday. 

Boyle is a nurse and currently the vice president of the . She announced her candidacy in September. Her school board term will end in spring 2013. If elected, she would begin serving the 81st district in Jan. 2013. Boyle told the Downers Grove Reporter in September she could handle the overlap, and her school board duties would come before those as a state representative. 

Ron Sandack began serving as a village commissioner for Downers Grove in 2003 and was elected mayor in 2007. He currently serves as a state senator for the 21st district, having been appointed last fall to replace Dan Cronin, who was elected DuPage County Board Chairman. 

82nd District  

Jim Durkin filed his petition Monday. Durkin, the current assistant minority leader in the Illinois House of Representatives,  in July. He has served in the 82nd District since 2006. In November 2010, he was elected to a two-year term after defeating Democratic challenger Matthew Mostowik.

The newly drawn 82nd District includes parts of Western Springs, Lemont, Darien, Burr Ridge, Willowbrook, Woodridge and Homer Glen.

Earlier this month,  resident Laura Reigle announced that she was circulating petitions  in the 82nd District. As of Wednesday at 10:30 p.m., she has yet to file her paperwork, according to the state's website.

85th District 

Emily McCasey currently serves the 85th district as a state representative. She is a lawyer and teacher who defeated Brent Hassert in Nov. 2008 to win the seat. 

The 85th district includes portions of Woodridge, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Lockport and Crystal Lawns.