Four candidates are seeking endorsement from the Riverside Community Caucus in their efforts to obtain a spot on the Riverside village board in the upcoming municipal election.
Following an Oct. 7 meet the candidates event, the RCC announced the four candidates on Facebook: incumbent trustees Cristin Evans, Alex Gallegos, Jill Mateo and newcomer Sharon Leamy.
Evans and Gallegos are seeking a third and final four-year term on the board, having first been elected in 2019. Mateo joined the board in 2023 and seeks a second term while Leamy is seeking her first term as a village trustee.
The RCC is hosting a candidate forum on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 12:30 p.m. at Riverside Township Hall, where the four candidates will gather to answer questions and speak on their plans for the village should they be elected.
Village trustees are not on the February primary ballot and participate directly in the consolidated election on April 6, so nominating petitions must be filed with Cook County through the village by Nov. 23 with at least 47 signatures.
Leamy was the principal of St. Catherine-St. Lucy Catholic School in Oak Park until June, when she retired after 20 years at the school in various roles. Mateo is an associate professor of biology and psychology at the University of Chicago. Evans is a public information officer at the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Gallegos is a financial advisor at Osaic Wealth.
