By a surpringly large margin, incumbent St. Charles 4th Ward Alderman David Pietryla defeated challenger Laura Moad in Tuesday’s municipal elections.
The latest tally is 824 votes for Pietryla versus 362 for Moad.
The race was enlivened by the candidates’ differing views on a number of hot-button city issues, the most recent being the dispute over granting a bar/restaurant access to certain public streets to allow for outdoor seating in the city’s downtown area. Pietryla voted against the measure, while Moad expressed her support. The access was denied by the Committee of the Whole in the City Council.
Following his victory, Pietryla issued a statement:
“I’m looking forward to my continued service to the residents of St. Charles. We have such an incredible community with so much positive momentum underway.
“My Re-election is a victory for the people of the 4th ward and the community at large. We cannot let special interests cloud our community’s priorities or hurt the quality of life that our residents have come to expect and the very reason they choose St. Charles to live, raise their families and run their businesses.
“I’m proud of my 4th ward constituents for making their voices heard. They have spoken for their interests over the mayor’s and former mayor’s hand-picked candidate.
“It’s time to keep moving forward in a responsible, thoughtful and productive way that prioritizes our community needs.”
In other races, Mark Foulkes appears to have beaten challengers Jessica Bridges and Tom Galante in the city’s 1st Ward. with Foulkes holding a 332-205 vote lead over Bridges. In the 2nd Ward, a mere 10 votes separates Jayme Muenz (470) and Arthur J. Lemke (460).
