Burket Poised To Win Village President Seat In Glen Ellyn

GLEN ELLYN, IL — With 100 percent of votes tabulated in DuPage County, James Burket appeared poised to win the Village President seat in Glen Ellyn. Kelley M. Kalinich, Sonia Desai Bhagwakar and Steven Szymanski were poised to win the three open seats on the Glen Ellyn Village Council.

Voting closed at 7 p.m. for the 2025 consolidated election in Illinois.

Here's a look at the Glen Ellyn Village President unofficial race results as of 10:48 p.m., with 100 percent of votes tabulated, per the DuPage County Clerk's Office:

Glen Ellyn Village President

Gary Fasules: 2,096

James Burket: 2,462

Here's where the candidates stand in the race for Glen Ellyn Village Board as of 9:40 p.m., with 98.27 percent of votes tabulated, per the DuPage County Clerk's Office's unofficial results:

Glen Ellyn Village Trustee

Stephen A. Szymanski: 2,476

Sonia Desai Bhagwakar: 2,562

Kelley M. Kalinich: 2,706

Robert Margetts: 2,019

Village President

Two candidates are facing off to fill the role of Glen Ellyn village president. Since November 2024, trustee Donna Simon has served as acting village president, following the resignation of former village president Mark Senak.

Gary Fasules

A Civic Betterment Committee Candidate, Gary Fasules has been a village trustee for 12 years. He served as acting village president for four months in 2021, according to the Village of Glen Ellyn website.

Fasules has also served on several village committees that include the capital improvements committee, liquor review board finance committee, police pension board and fire and police commissions.

A Glen Ellyn native, Fasules says he is familiar with the village's mission of "respect, dignity, volunteerism, and helping others," per his Civic Betterment Committee profile.
He says, "If elected your President, I promise to continue this tradition by increasing retail growth, keeping Glen Ellyn affordable; maintaining fiscal responsibility; increasing sustainability and safety; and improving transparency of the [v]illage’s government to its residents."

James Burket

An Independent candidate, Jim Burket writes in his candidate bio, "I believe that our town has a bright future, but I also know that we have some work to do. It will take all of us working together to bring that spirit of community forward as we address what’s needed to ensure a vibrant future.
I’ve had the opportunity to connect with many residents, organization leaders, and local business owners over the past few months. As a candidate for Village President, I feel it is critical to engage with as many of you as I can. Not just those who live close by or who agree with all of what I believe, but with everyone."

Village Trustees

Four candidates are vying for three seats on the Glen Ellyn Village Board. Stephen A. Szymanski, Sonia Desai Bhagwakar and Kelley Kalinich are running as part of the Betterment Committee. Robert Margetts is running as an independent candidate.

Stephen A. Szymanski

Stephen Szymanski currently serves as chair of Glen Ellyn's Capital Improvements Commission. On the Civic Betterment Committee website, Szymanski writes, "I’ve lived in a number of places, and returned to Glen Ellyn for its strong sense of community. As Chair of the Capital Improvements Commission, I have experienced the challenges and opportunities we have in the Village. We will continue to keep Glen Ellyn the best place to live by listening and working with everyone in the community."

Kelley Kalinich

Incumbent trustee Kelley Kalinich is seeking a second term as village trustee. Kalinich formerly served as Kenilworth School District No. 38 and is a board member for the Glen Ellyn Library Foundation.

In her candidate statement on the Civic Betterment Committee website, Kalinich says she plans on "Conducting listening sessions with community members of varying generations to ensure that all voices are heard. Implementing components of the Comprehensive Plan. We have an amazing Village, and I want to be a steward of the community resources to positively move forward for the betterment of our community."

Sonia Desai Bhagwakar

In her candidate statement on the Civic Betterment Committee website, Bhagwakar writes, "I sincerely love this community and want to run for Village Trustee to assist in taking Glen Ellyn to the next level as a vibrant town for our families and promoting sustainability while preserving historical charm. I am committed to listening to residents and collaborating with others in my approach."

Robert Margetts

A lifelong resident of Glen Ellyn, per his candidate bio, Margetts is on the Board of Directors for Glen House Food Pantry. His bio states that he was one of the pantry's founders.

In his bio, Margetts writes, "I believe that the citizens of Glen Ellyn deserve a real choice when it comes to who is on the ballot for our Village Government. I value good old-fashioned common sense and responsible governance. The history and future of Glen Ellyn is important to me. Glen Ellyn has undergone many changes over the years, and I would like to be your voice in the changes to come."

Residents can click the link to see if they are registered to vote in DuPage County.