Walters defeats McClear for DuPage County Board District 2 seat

Democrat Mary Rada Walters won the DuPage County Board District 2 two-year seat with 38,259 votes, or 62.3%, to Republican Theresa McClear's 23,169 votes, or 37.7%, according to unofficial results from DuPage County Clerk. All 111 of 111 reporting units had reported as of 11:25 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Walters led by 15,090 votes out of 61,428 counted.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Democrats swept every DuPage County race on Nov. 3. The Tribune reported Walters had 38,228 votes and McClear had 23,151 votes for the two-year term in its election-night tally.

The two-year seat is one of three representing District 2 on the 18-member county board, which sets the county budget, property tax levy and policies on zoning, public health and infrastructure across DuPage County.

What was at stake

The DuPage County Board acts as both the legislative and executive authority for the county, according to Isobel Michaud's guide to the board. It enacts ordinances on zoning, land use, transportation, environmental controls and public health. The board also approves the county's annual budget and property tax levy.

The key issues:

• Affordability: Walters' campaign prioritized housing costs, childcare and health care affordability alongside fiscal responsibility, according to The Ballot Brief. McClear's campaign called for lowering taxes and fiscal responsibility, according to her campaign website.
• Public safety: Walters supported mental health services, substance-use treatment and secure firearm storage. McClear called for supporting law enforcement and first responders.
• Mental health: McClear highlighted youth mental health, citing school screenings that found 15% of high school students affected by anxiety and depression, per her campaign site.

The board's decisions on the county levy directly affect property tax bills for residents across DuPage County.

A little history

Walters is a Lombard attorney whose practice has focused on Social Security disability and bankruptcy law, per her campaign profile on The Ballot Brief. She ran as a Democrat.

McClear, a Republican, listed more than 20 years of community service on her campaign site, including work as a township trustee and board member for Turning Pointe Center for Autism, Misericordia and Ray Graham Association. The DuPage County GOP's 2026 candidate listing included McClear among its District 2 candidates.

District 2 is represented on the current board by Paula Deacon Garcia, Andrew Honig and Yeena Yoo, according to the county's board member page. Deacon Garcia's and Yoo's terms expire Dec. 7, 2026.

What's next

The results remain unofficial until the canvass is complete. Illinois county election authorities must validate and count provisional ballots within 14 calendar days of the election, then have seven days for their final canvass, according to The Whole Read. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive before the provisional-ballot counting period closes also count under Illinois law.

Illinois has no automatic recount, NBC Chicago reported. A candidate can request a discovery recount if their vote total reaches at least 95% of the leader's tally, but the results of that recount are not binding without a court order.

Election results: DuPage County Board - District 2 (Illinois General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: DuPage County Clerk. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 11:25 p.m. CST. Reporting: 111 of 111. Unofficial results; every reporting unit has reported.