Businessman Scott Wehrli defeated Councilman Benny White to become Naperville’s next mayor, replacing incumbent Steve Chirico who is stepping down after two terms.
The mayoral race was closely watched, as White was vying to become the city’s first black mayor, while the hot-button issue of gun control was a focus.
In the wake of last year’s Highland Park July 4th massacre, the Naperville City Council passed a controversial “assault weapon” ban, effectively making it illegal to sell such firearms within the city. As Councilman White voted in favor of the ban, saying that “something had to be done.” Wehrli opposed the ban, questioning whether it would actually make the city safer from mass shootings.
In City Council races, four members were elected to the city’s at-large council. Josh McBroom, Nathan “Nate” Wilson and Allison Longenbough joined incumbent Patrick Kelly as the leading vote-getters, according to unofficial results. Incumbent council members Paul Hinterlong, Theresa Sullivan and Nicki Anderson did not run for re-election.
