:quality(70):focal(1521x791:1531x801)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/RV2H4SCAOFFHHMXI37HEYEWNHQ.JPG)
Homer Township — The Homer Township Republican primary Tuesday saw the challenging Reset Party, led by Homer Glen Village Trustee Sue Steilen, triumph over the incumbent Freedom Caucus led by township Supervisor Steve Balich.
Balich also is a member of the Will County Board.
The Reset candidates swept the race, with Steilen defeating Balich for supervisor with 59.4% of the vote and all other Reset candidates winning their contests.
Tamara “Tami” O’Brien defeated incumbent township Clerk Vicki Bozen with 58.3% of the vote, and John Robinson received just under 59% of the vote for highway commissioner over incumbent Brent Porfilio.
Sara Pallermo won her race for township collector with 61.2% of the vote over Rose Fialko. Keith Gray, Christina “Chris” Sievers, Kenneth “Ken” Marcin and Donald Melody received the most votes for the four trustee positions.
Gray, Sievers, Marcin and Melody each received about 15% of the vote, defeating Michael Clausen, Michael Bonomo, Dominic Pacella and Angel Constance Marie Shake, none of whom received more than 11% of the vote.
The contentious primary came on the heels of a Homer Glen advisory referendum in 2024 to dissolve the township as a unit of government, something the Freedom Caucus tried to link Steilen to in their campaign, based on statements she made at 2024 Village Board meetings.
Steilen denied that she was aiming to eliminate the seat she was running for as the Reset candidates accused the incumbents of mishandling the funding and construction of a new township civic center on the Trantina Farm property on 151st Street.
“The results confirmed that the community wants to be united and work together,” Steilen said Wednesday. “This win was for the residents. Comments from our residents say it best: Truth and kindness won. For many people, they appreciate the idea that people who put the community first and care about others can get elected. It’s not about national politics, it’s about local community needs and issues.”
Balich had accused the Reset candidates of not being “true Republicans” in the lead-up to the election, arguing that they had not done enough to campaign for candidates in the national election in November, including in the presidential race, and criticizing bipartisan endorsements touted on the Reset slate’s Facebook page.
“We stayed out of the negative campaigning and told the truth,” Steilen said. “I hope we can encourage others to get involved in our township and run in future elections.”
Although Steilen has denied any desire to eliminate the township as a unit of government, she did express before the primary that the Reset party, if elected, plans to focus on “restoring limited government, transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility.”
She said the Reset party will spend the coming months “preparing to take office after the April election is certified.”
Balich did not respond to The Herald-News' requests for comment on the results.
The winning slate is going to be running unopposed in the April 1 consolidated election. The only incumbent who will retain their seat is Township Assessor Carmen Maurella III, who ran unopposed.
According to the Will County Clerk’s Office, 4,573 ballots were cast in Tuesday’s primary by residents in Homer Glen, Lockport, New Lenox and their neighboring unincorporated areas, representing only a 12.5% voter turnout.