DeKalb mayor secures 2nd term, if election results hold

DeKALB – If unofficial results hold, Cohen Barnes has secured a second term as DeKalb Mayor, according to vote tallies reported Tuesday night. Check back for updates.

Polls closed at 7 p.m. Voters should remember that results aren’t certified for two weeks. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Tuesday also will need to be counted before election results are finalized.

The race featured Barnes, and candidates John Walker, Linh Nguyen and Kouame Sanan.

Barnes first won election in 2021. Ahead of Tuesday, Barnes ran a campaign that touted his efforts in the past four years to bring in local business, address property tax burdens on residents, and fund road and infrastructure improvements.

Surrounded by supporters at an election night party at Faranda’s Banquets hall in DeKalb, Barnes said he believes his campaign went well overall.

“I am incredibly proud of the campaign that we ran,” Barnes said. “We never went negative in any of our advertisements, any of our posts and social media. And I believe when it comes to local elections, that’s an important piece.”

Three hoped to unseat him, however. Walker, the sitting Ward 7 Alderman, is a UPS employee. Nguyen works as an employees educator at Northern Illinois University. And Sanan works in NIU’s IT department.

Unofficial results reported by the DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder’s Office had only started to trickle in by press time Tuesday.

By 10 p.m. with all 24 precincts reporting, Barnes lead with 2,415 votes, followed by Nguyen with 1,319 votes, Walker with 736 votes and Sanan with 111.

Voter turnout in the city was about 21%, according to the clerk’s office, with 4,886 ballots cast.

Nguyen watched results from her home Tuesday. She

“I’m so grateful for the tremendous support I’ve received from DeKalb and looking forward to continuing to serve our community for many years to come,” Nguyen said about 9 p.m. with the vote count ongoing.

She added to those comments in a statement posted later to her Facebook campaign page, saying she felt she ran a strong campaign but was “at peace” knowing she gave it all she had.

Throughout the campaign season, Nguyen, who has masters and doctorate degrees in chemistry, said she’d use science and data to oversee a fiscally responsible DeKalb. She promised also to address DeKalb’s aging roads, increase sustainable development, and ensure the government was accessible and inclusive to all residents.

Walker, who won election to the DeKalb City Council in 2021, trailed behind two others as of press time Tuesday.

“Well the numbers aren’t looking good as of now, we knew running as a true independent we would have some issues, and everything comes down to voter turnout,” Walker said about 9 p.m. as the count was still ongoing.

The alderman ran a campaign that emphasized community engagement. Walker throughout the election cycle said he’d lower taxes, support first responders and address public safety, and expand civic infrastructure, opening up city committees and promising to hold town halls.

Sanan’s campaign prioritized safety, affordability and growing relationships between local business owners and neighboring cities.

In a statement to the Daily Chronicle late Tuesday, Sanan thanked supporters and congratulated Barnes on his presumed reelection.

“True leadership is about working together for the good of the community,” Sanan said. “We have not given up on the vision of a stronger, safer, and more affordable DeKalb. This isn’t the end – our work continues, and I remain committed to making a real difference for all of us. Let’s keep pushing forward, together!"

This story was updated at 9:52 p.m., at 10:20 p.m., again at 10:31 p.m. and at 11:32 p.m. on April 1, 2025. Check back for updates.