Two peers from the Foss Park District Board are facing off in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for the Lake County Board District 14 seat, part of a new wave of fresh faces vying for county leadership.
District 14 includes Park City and portions of North Chicago and Waukegan. Outgoing incumbent Angelo Kyle has held the seat since 2018 and was previously on the board from 1990 to 2012.
No Republican is currently listed to run for District 14 in November, although the Republican Party can choose to fill the vacancy with an appointee. That candidate would have to be appointed by June 1, according to the Lake County Clerk’s Office.
Carmecia Hawthorn
Candidate Carmecia Hawthorn did not respond to repeated requests for an interview, including multiple texts, calls and emails.
On her social media, Hawthorn says her campaign is focused on infrastructure improvements, promoting and expanding access to community gathering spaces, equity among the Forest Preserves and supporting due process in the judicial system. She is a commissioner on the Foss Park District Board.
Vance Wyatt
Vance Wyatt is currently the treasurer of the city of North Chicago, as well as a commissioner for the Foss Park District.
Wyatt has previously been on the Lake County Board, appointed to the District 14 seat in 2017 after the death of member Audrey Nixon, and served one and a half years before Kyle took the seat in 2018.
For Wyatt, the biggest issue in the campaign is the cost of living, which on the county level would center on property taxes, he said. High living costs are pushing people into homelessness, Wyatt said, or forcing them to work multiple jobs.
“Here in Lake County, specifically in the 14th District, we tend to see some of the highest property taxes,” Wyatt said.
He warned against private equity squeezing people out of the market in the district, and encouraged the county to push affordable housing.
Beyond housing, Wyatt said there are a “ton more” of issues he’s heard while talking to residents: supporting local businesses, finding ways to benefit — rather than struggle — from the AI boom, addressing recidivism by supporting businesses hiring former inmates, improving stormwater management and infrastructure.
He also highlighted Vista Medical Center in Waukegan, which has faced growing challenges and has even shut down some of its services. Wyatt knows personally how important an area hospital can be, recalling how a relative’s life was saved after a heart attack because they lived so close to Vista.
“This is people’s lives,” Wyatt said. “If he had to try to get transported over to Lake Forest, he probably wouldn’t have survived.”
While Wyatt praised Hawthorn for her care for the community, he said he was better suited for the County Board.
“I believe it’s about who has the ability and the track record to get the job done,” he said.
The outgoing Kyle has been a longtime board member, first elected when Wyatt was just a baby, and has represented District 14 for the last eight years since the county was redistricted.
If Hawthorn or Wyatt wins, they’ll be joining a new board that’s seen a great deal of change since Kyle rejoined in 2018.
Members Ann Maine, Linda Pedersen, Michael Danforth and Jessica Vealitzek are all stepping down. Additionally, board Chair Sandy Hart is running for county treasurer, and depending on the results, her seat might need a replacement.
