After what was an unusually contentious and at times personal battle, incumbent Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman appeared to win a convincing victory over challenger Ravi Parakkat, a member of the Village Board, according to preliminary results from Tuesday’s municipal elections.
With results from all 32 precincts reporting, Scaman has received 6,083 votes to Parakkat’s 3,705 votes. This was a significantly bigger margin than Scaman achieved in her first race for village president four years earlier, when Scaman won 56.14% of the vote against progressive activist Cate Readling.
In the race four years ago, Scaman was the more centrist candidate and was challenged from the left. In this race Scaman was the more liberal candidate and was challenged from the right. But Scaman built a coalition with progressive activists that carried her to a big victory over an aggressive opponent.
An emotional Scaman made a victory speech Tuesday night at the Carleton Hotel ballroom in Oak Park before approximately 100 very happy supporters.
“I am committed to listening to all and bringing our community together,” Scaman said.
Scaman billed herself as a listener and a collaborator during the campaign, someone who could listen to all sides and bring people together.
That was one reason why an Oak Parker named Melvin voted for her.
“She seemed to be a good choice,” said Melvin, who declined to give his last name.
Scaman also received an endorsement from State Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), who doesn’t often get involved in village elections.
Eileen Lynch, the committeewoman of the Democratic Party of Oak Park, also spoke at Scaman’s victory party and introduced Scaman although she said that she was there only in her personal capacity as a longtime friend.
“Vicki is someone who really attempts to listen and to understand and to work with our community,” Lynch said.
Her opponent, Parakkat, had won over voters such as Mark Swets.
“I think we need some change in the village and some of the decisions over the last several years have not sat well with me so I think he’s a good option,” said Swets after voting earlier Tuesday at Brooks Middle School.
In the Oak Park Village Board race, the two most liberal candidates were the leading vote getters as tallies came in Tuesday night. Incumbent Chibuike Enyia was the leading vote getter with 6,713. Newcomer Jenna Leving Jacobson, a leader of an area gun control group, also appeared to win a seat, as did fiscally conservative former Village Board member Jim Taglia, who appeared to win the third seat up in this election.
Preliminary results indicated incumbent Lucia Robinson failed in a bid for a second term on the Village Board, finishing fourth a little more than 1,000 votes behind Taglia. Joshua Vanderberg finished last, according to preliminary results Tuesday night, with 3,143 votes.
Bob Skolnik is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
