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DeKALB – The battle to be DeKalb Township supervisor was decided by voters Tuesday, handing incumbent Mary Hess a successful reelection bid over challenger Jim Luebke, if results stand.
Official election results reported by the DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder’s Office won’t be certified for two weeks. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Tuesday also need to be counted.
With all 24 precincts fully reporting, Hess garnered 2,177 votes to Luebke’s 1,990 votes.
On her Facebook campaign page, Hess thanked her followers for the votes needed to win the election.
“I am deeply grateful for everyone who supported my campaign – whether by following my social media pages, sharing posts, displaying yard signs, attending forums, spreading the word about my work or offering words of encouragement,” Hess wrote.
Hess, 53, said the trust and support from DeKalb Township voters meant the world to her, and she’s honored to continue serving the township.
She previously served on the DeKalb School District 428 Board. She was elected township supervisor in 2021.
Her reelection campaign focused on expanding public township services, enhancing the two cemeteries owned by the township to make them profitable and establishing an employment training program to help local workforce development.
Luebke, 64, served as township trustee from 2009 to 2013 and is currently representing District 9 on the DeKalb County Board as a Democrat.
His campaign touted plans to expand public outreach and communication with area residents, fiscal responsibility and public transparency.
This story was updated at 10:45 p.m. April 1, 2025, and again at 5:20 p.m. April 2, 2025.