Winners In Palos D118 Race: Election 2023 Results

PALOS PARK, IL — It was a busy election day for several candidates, including the Palos Dist. 118 school board candidates.

The top three vote-gets in the four-way race are Pamela M. Paris, Michael Pizur and Daniel Cox. Suzan Atallah trails behind.

Cook County polls closed at 7 p.m. Early voting and vote-by-mail ballots are included in the total. Provisional ballots and late arriving vote-by-mail ballots are not included, according to the Cook County Clerk's Office. All results are unofficial.

Four candidates are running for three open positions on the school board, including:

Pamela M. Paris - 2,323 (30.77%)
Michael Pizur - 2,023 (26.83%)
Daniel Cox - 1,827 (23.83%)
Suzan Atallah - 1,404 (18.57%)

Orland Park resident Suzan Atallah grew up in Palos Hills as one of seven children to hardworking Arab immigrant parents. She is an English/EL Teacher at her alma mater, Amos Alonzo Stagg High School. Racial equity is at the forefront of her campaign.

“I believe in transparency,” she said. “I believe that our district should function as one and should have the community’s best interests in mind. I, too, am a voter in the community, and I want to see the success of every student, regardless of their background or situation.”

Dan Cox and his wife, Andrea, reside in Palos Park and are the parents of four boys, two of whom are currently attending Dist. 118 schools. He is currently a software developer for Allstate Insurance.

"I am most concerned about providing our students with a challenging and rigorous curriculum that prepares them for success at their next level and beyond,” Cox said. “I believe an effective school board prepares all students in their districts with the foundational tools they will use for the rest of their lives to be successful. I am also a strong believer in providing students an equitable education where each student feels included, welcomed, and represented.”