DuPage County Forum

Join us in the Auditorium & Atrium for a Candidate Open House and scheduled forums throughout the evening.

Meet the Candidates

Candidates will be available at tables throughout the evening in an open-house format, giving community members the opportunity to speak with them directly, ask questions, and learn more about their priorities and platforms.

All candidates for the participating DuPage County races have been invited. A full list of confirmed candidates will be posted below as all confirmations are received.

The Evening

ATRIUM OPEN HOUSE

Running 5:30 – 8:30 PM. Meet candidates one-on-one, pick up campaign materials, and ask questions informally at their tables.

AUDITORIUM CANDIDATE FORUM

Three moderated panels covering County Board Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, each candidate given equal, timed speaking opportunities. Spanish interpretation will be provided by ALMAS for the candidate forums only.

Forum Schedule

DuPage County Administration Building, Auditorium — September 9, 2026

5:30 – 5:45 PM: Welcome

5:45 – 6:30 PM: Forum 1 — County Board Districts 2 & 4

6:30 – 6:45 PM: Break / Room Turnover

6:45 – 7:30 PM: Forum 2 — County Board Districts 1 & 6

7:30 – 7:45 PM: Break / Room Turnover

7:45 – 8:30 PM: Forum 3 — County Board Districts 3 & 5

*Districts are grouped two-per-forum across three sessions so every candidate gets a comparable amount of speaking time.

Submit a Question

Community members will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance for consideration during the candidate forums by emailing Civic@ALMAScommunity.org with email subject Question for DuPage Candidate Forum.

ALMAS will make every effort to include as many community-submitted questions as possible within the time available. While we cannot guarantee that every question will be asked during a forum, attendees may also ask candidates questions directly at their tables during the open house.

Confirmed Candidates

For Atrium Open House & Candidate Forums

District 1: Michael Childress & Melissa Villanueva

District 2: Christopher Espinoza, Theresa McClear, Rusty Stevens & Mary Rada Walters

District 3: Kari Galassi, Marcus King, Brian Krajewski & Ericka Polanco Webb

District 4: Mary Fitzgerald Ozog

District 5: Dawn DeSart, Ian Holzhauer, Chris Jacks & Daniel Lomeli

District 6: Jesse Gutierrez, Melissa Martinez, Kathy Zander & James Zay

For Atrium Open House

Coming soon: Confirmed Candidates for County Offices (Board Chair, Sheriff, Clerk, Treasurer, State's Attorney), Forest Preserve District and Judicial races.

Parking & Building Entry

• Visitors should park in the 421 South Lot and walk to the 421 Main Entrance. VIEW PARKING MAP

• Please allow additional time for security upon arrival. Visitors will walk through a metal detector, and bags and purses will be inspected by security staff at the entrance.

This event is FREE and open to the public. All community members are welcome.

ALMAS is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All candidates for participating races are invited to participate. Participation in this event does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate or political party.