History of the DuPage County Green Party

In 2006 the DuPage Greens supported the gubernatorial candidacy of Rich Whitney, who earned over 10% of the vote in the county — amazingly successful for a candidacy that was essentially limited to two months of campaigning by our Democratic Party opponents.

Building on the success of the Whitney campaign, the DCGP held its first ever primary and ran a number of candidates for the 2008 general election, including our first ever candidates for U.S. Congress, State Senate, State Representative, and County Board. In the DuPage County area, Steve Alesch ran for Congress in the 13th Congressional District.  Many of our candidates repeated Whitney’s success by exceeding expectations.

In 2009 the DuPage Greens ran one candidate in the off-year elections: Steve Alesch, for Winfield Township Trustee. There were 6 candidates competing for 4 open seats.  Alesch came in sixth, but nonetheless picked up votes from a high percentage of voters (25%).

June 2009 we launched the Social Justice in DuPage Series, which over the subsequent years has focused on a range of issues affecting our community, such as civil unions/equal marriage, single payer health care, the Illinois education meltdown, poverty and homelessness in DuPage County, and red light cameras vs. civil liberties.  Later forums were held on the subjects of community gardens, edible forests, the health benefits of a plant based diet and how a plant based diet can help stop global warming.

Participation in the 2010 primary demonstrated the steady growth of the party in DuPage County. The party also supported a slate of statewide candidates topped by LeAlan Jones for U.S. Senate and Rich Whitney for Governor. We also supported Bob Mueller for State Representative, 47th district, and Dan Kairis for Congress, 14th district.

April 2011 DCGP chair Steve Alesch made history by becoming the first Green Party member elected to public office in DuPage County. Alesch was elected as a commissioner to the Warrenville Park District Board.

May 2011 the DuPage Greens opened an office at the Two Thirteen Building (213 S Wheaton Ave, Wheaton, IL), a new incubator for community-based organizations focused on peace, justice and equality.

Shortly after opening the office, members of the DuPage Greens banded together with other Two Thirteen Building tenants, and Florence and Dick Nogaj, the benefactors who owned the Two Thirteen Building, to found the DuPage Coffeehouse, a monthly community discussion and take action organization that met for several years.

One of the first DuPage Coffeehouse discussions was about campaign finance reform and resulted in members of the DuPage Greens becoming co-founders of DuPage County Move to Amend.

October 2011, a month after Occupy Wall Street started, the DuPage Greens were one of the founders of Occupy Naperville, which lasted several years longer than most of the other Occupy Wall Street inspired organizations.

In 2012 the DuPage Greens supported Nancy Wade for Congress (IL-5).  Wade received more than 5% of the vote, resulting in the Green Party being established in the 5th Congressional District.

After a successful campaign by DuPage County Move to Amend, in conjunction with several other Move to Amend local organizations throughout Illinois, a Move to Amend advisory public question was placed on the ballot asking over 1.3 million voters (about 50% of the Illinois voters) in the November 2012 Election, whether they supported amending the U. S. Constitution to abolish corporate personhood and money as political speech (the two dangerous precedents that led to the 2010 infamous landmark Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed unlimited secret super PAC donations by domestic and foreign donors). An average of 67% of Illinoos voters voted Yes!

December 2012 DuPage Greens members co-founded Illinois Move to Amend which worked with a coalition of organizations resulting in the Illinois State Legislature passing a resolution to demand that the Illinois U.S. House delegation support the aforementioned Move to Amend amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

April 2013 Sandy Lezon became the second Green Party member elected to public office in DuPage County. Lezon was elected as a trustee to the Warrenville Public Library Board.

November 2013 DuPage Green member Steve Alesch was one of the primary organizers in the successful campaign to defeat Illinois HB 2454, the bill to take away your right to place questions, like the aforementioned Move to Amend question, on the ballot via the Annual Township Meeting.

In 2014 DuPage Greens supported:

  • Nancy Wade, 5th Congressional District (Bensenville, Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Oakbrook in DuPage County) who again received over 5% of the vote, retaining established party status in the district
  • Scott Summers, Governor (write-in)
  • Sheldon Schafer, Secretary of State (write-in)

In 2015 DuPage Greens supported:

Steve Alesch in his successful bid for re-election to the Warrenville Park District Board

In 2016 the DuPage Greens:

  • Recognized Warren “Grizz” Grimsley in the 5th Congressional District primary election
  • Declined to recognize Rob Sherman in the 5th Congressional District primary election
  • Supported Dr. Jill Stein for President of the United States
  • Supported Ajamu Baraka for Vice President of the United States
  • Supported Scott Summers for U.S. Senate
  • Supported Tim Curtin for Illinois Comptroller

In 2017 the DuPage Greens were 3 for 3! The DuPage Greens recognized, endorsed and supported:

  • Steve De La Rosa for Villa Park Library District (4 year term) – ELECTED
  • Holly Scholz for Fox Valley Park District, District 3 (2 or 4 year term determined by lottery after election) – ELECTED
  • Kyle Taylor for Kane County Board of School Trustees, St. Charles Township (2 year unexpired term) – ELECTED

2018 DuPage County area candidates supported by the DuPage County Green Party:

  • Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago Candidates
    • Chris Anthony (6-year term)
    • Karen Roothan (6-year term)
    • Tammie Vinson (6-year term)
    • Rachel Wales (2-year term)
    • Geoffrey Cubbage (2-year term)

In 2019 the DuPage Greens were 1 for 2. The DuPage Greens recognized, endorsed and supported:

September 2019 the DuPage County Green Party endorsed and supported the College of DuPage faculty in their ongoing effort to achieve a fair and equitable labor agreement with the College of DuPage Board by Steve Alesch, DuPage County Green Party Chair, speaking at the College of DuPage Board Meeting and issuing a press release.

2020 DuPage County area Primary Election candidates supported by the DuPage County Green Party:

  • Rich Giovanoni for Niles Township Green Party Committeeperson, Cook County (Morton Grove, Skokie, Niles, and Lincolnwood area) – ELECTED

2020 DuPage County area General Election candidates supported by the DuPage County Green Party:

  • Howie Hawkins for President of the U.S.
  • Angela Walker for Vice President of the U.S.
  • David Black for U.S. Senate (IL)
  • Tom Wilda for Congress (IL-5) – parts of Cook and DuPage Counties
  • Chris Kruger for State Representative (IL-17) – parts of Suburban Cook County
  • Alia Sarfraz for State Representative (IL-52) – parts of Suburban Cook, Kane, Lake, and McHenry Counties
  • Anna Schiefelbein for State Representative (IL-85) – parts of DuPage and Will Counties
  • Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago – Cook County
    • Tammie Vinson
    • Troy Hernandez
    • Rachel Wales

2020 ILGP General Election results

2021 DuPage County area General Election candidates recognized by the DuPage County Green Party:

2021 ILGP General Election Results

February 2021 we moved our office to 4320 Winfield Road, Suite 200, PMB 214, Warrenville, IL.

On Mayday 2021 the DuPage Greens started holding a monthly rally on the first Friday of the month in downtown Naperville focusing on Equal Healthcare and Zero Carbon Emissions by 2030. April 2022 the DuPage Greens changed the rally name to the Fridays for Future Rally for Zero Carbon Emissions and started holding it on the first Friday of the month at the same location. June 2022 the rally theme was expanded to the Pro Choice and Fridays for Future Rally for Zero Carbon Emissions. We hope you can join us at the next rally!

August 2021 we moved our office back to the building at 213 S Wheaton Ave, Wheaton, IL. The building is refurbished and is now called Wheaton Commons. Our new address is 213 S Wheaton Ave, Suite LL3, Wheaton, IL 60187.

June and July 2022 Steve Alesch, DuPage County Green Party Chair, spoke at the Wheaton City Council Meetings in support of the more than 600 Wheaton residents that signed a petition opposing the proposed seven story high density apartment building that would span the entire city block of Liberty Dr, Hale St, Willow Ave, and Wheaton Ave. At the July meeting the DuPage County Green Party Recommendations Re: the Proposed Wheaton Apartment Building was entered into the public record.

September 2022 we closed our office and our mailing address is now 747 E Boughton Rd, #227, Bolingbrook, IL 60440.

Since 2011 the DuPage Greens have won 7 out of the 8 campaigns (88%) we ran for local non-partisan offices!

See the elections page for information on candidates we are currently supporting.

Bylaws

We can’t wait to see what the next chapter will be for the DuPage Greens!