In a three-way race for the right to appear on the general election ballot in April, incumbent Mayor Anthony Calderone and Terry Steinbach emerged victorious from Tuesday’s primary election.
The third candidate, Patrick Doolin, called Steinbach shortly before 9 p.m. while trailing by 12 percentage points in the polls. At the time, 25 percent of the votes remained uncounted. With nine of the 12 precincts reporting, Calderone had 51 percent of the vote, Steinbach had 30 percent and Doolin trailed with 18 percent.
The loss not only knocks him out of contention, but Doolin will also lose his seat on the village council this spring. Both Steinbach and Doolin are sitting members of the village council and both were elected in 2003. If Steinbach is unsuccessful in the general election on April 17, she too will lose her seat on the council.
Calderone is a two-term incumbent to the mayor’s office and previously served as a member of the village council prior to unseating Lorraine Popelka in 1999. Calderone ran uncontested in 2003.
Though ballots were still being counted by the Cook County Clerk’s office as of 9 p.m., initial reports are that voter turnout was low, most likely falling shy of 30 percent. There are 7,987 registered voters in Forest Park’s 12 precincts.
Complete coverage of the mayoral primary will be posted tonight on the Review’s Web site at www.forestparkreview.com, as well as in tomorrow’s print edition.
