When the smoke clears from the 2010 primary election in February, Riverside Township will have a new Democratic Party committeeman for the first time since 1978. John Toman, who was appointed to that post upon the death of his father, the former committeeman, some three decades ago, did not file papers for re-election by yesterday’s deadline.
Not only that, but Riverside Township will see its first contested race for Democratic Committeeman since Toman’s first bid for election after being appointed. Facing off in the primary, which decides races for committeemen, will be Brookfield resident Wil Brennan and Riverside resident John Allegretti.
While neither is new to the local political scene, Brennan has the higher profile of the two candidates. A friend of Toman’s for many years, Brennan has served a term as trustee for the village of Brookfield and ran unsuccessfully for village president in 2009.
Now retired, the 68-year-old Brennan was formerly a union electrician and worked as an instructor for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134.
Allegretti has twice run for office locally, both times unsuccessfully. In 2005, he ran for the District 96 school board. In 2008, he lost a bid to become a judge in the Cook County’s 4th Judicial Subcircuit.
An attorney, Allegretti is general counsel for the Cook County Assessor and has worked in the past as a hearing officer on the Illinois Property Tax Appeals Board and as an assistant Cook County state’s attorney.
On the Republican side of the aisle, Riverside resident Judy Baar Topinka will again run uncontested for the committeeman’s job in Riverside Township.
Meanwhile, Tony Peraica’s seat as commissioner for the 16th District on the Cook County Board appears to be a coveted position. He’ll face an opponent in the Republican primary in the form of Westchester resident Brian A. Sloan, who waited until the eleventh hour (3:39 p.m.) to file his nominating petitions on Monday afternoon.
Peraica will also have a fight on his hands as he tries to retain his post as Republican committeeman for Lyons Township. After eking out re-election in 2006, Peraica will face Western Springs resident James Pittacora in the primary.
Three candidates will fight it out in the Democratic primary for the 16th District race, including former Brookfield village president Bill Russ, former Northlake alderman and Oak Park restaurateur Eddy Garcia and McCook Mayor Jeffrey Tobolski, who brings to the campaign a war chest that far outstrips his opponents.
There are also two Green Party candidates for the job, Lyons resident Alex Matos and Melrose Park resident Alejandro Reyes.
Two other local residents have filed to run in the February primary. Brookfield resident Suzanne von Leuschner will be the lone candidate on the Green Party ballot for Proviso Township committeeman.
Meanwhile, Brookfield resident Fred Potter joins a four-way race for Republican committeeman in Proviso Township. The incumbent is LaGrange Park resident and Proviso Township Supervisor Michael Corrigan, who is seeking re-election as committeeman.
