All But 1 Geneva City Council Race Are Unopposed: IL Election 2023

GENEVA, IL — Four candidates are running unopposed for Geneva City Council seats in three wards. Only one race, for Ward 4, is contested in Tuesday's election.

Anais Bowring is running for Ward 1, Bradley Kosirog for Ward 2, Dean Kilburg for Ward 3 and Craig Maladra for Ward 5. Ward 4 is the only contested race, where Martha Paschke is facing off against incumbent Gabriel Kaven.

Bowring and Paschke are the only candidates not currently sitting on City Council. With her term up this year, Tara Burghart, who was first elected in 2015 to serve Ward 1, is not seeking reelection.

Each ward is represented on City Council by two people, and the second will be up for reelection in 2025.

In the contested race to represent Ward 4 on City Council, Paschke is looking to unseat Kaven, who was first elected to the position in 2019.

If reelected, Kaven, a resident since 2008, will be "responsive, open-minded, willing to listen and work to make sure that the city is running efficiently for the community and residents as I have demonstrated over the past 4 years," the candidate said on Facebook.

To Kaven, issues facing the city include taxes, its economic well-being and the development of the southeast side. If voters give him another term, he said he wants to focus on representing the ward as a public service, according to reports from the Chicago Tribune.

"For the past four years, I have given fair consideration, listening and providing feedback so the best decisions are made for the city of Geneva," he wrote on Facebook. "If given the opportunity, I will do it for the next four years as your 4th Ward Alderman.

A Geneva resident of more than 20 years, Paschke hopes to acquire the seat from Kaven. She's running because she wants to "give back to the place that made [her childhood] dreams come true," she said on her Facebook page.

Paschke currently runs the Kane County Collaborative Diversion initiative at the Kane County State's Attorney's Office.

In women's health and education, her volunteer work includes serving as secretary on the Geneva Library Foundation, working with the group Kane and Kendall County Moms Demand Action, and serving on the Family Service Association board.

"I pride myself on being responsive and showing up when I'm needed, and I care about issues that affect my community and my neighbors," she told the Daily Herald. "I also believe that my curiosity about the world is also beneficial. I want to understand not only the issues themselves, but other people's perspectives about them as well."

In a post on Facebook, she said "more than anything, I enjoy helping people and problem-solving. Those are the skills I hope to put to use as your next alderperson, Ward 4."

Unopposed races

Bowring has lived in Geneva's first ward since 2014. She holds a doctorate degree in American government and politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a bachelor's degree in history from William & Mary.

She said she's running for office to make Geneva more inclusive, welcoming and sustainable, according to reports from Shaw Local.

"I am invested in helping Geneva continue to plan responsibly for the future," she told Shaw Local. "Moreover, my doctorate in politics and my experience developing educational resources on state and local politics give me useful insight into the challenges facing local government and help me envision opportunities for solutions."

Kosirog, a resident since 2014, was first appointed to City Council in 2020. After Tuesday, he will begin his second term as Ward 2's alderman.

Geneva City Council approved Kosirog's appointment in 2020 after he was one of 10 residents that applied to fill a former Alderman Mike Clements, who resigned from the position after two years, Patch reported.

Kosirog owns a fastener distributorship in Warrenville and has experience serving on the city's Planning and Zoning Commission. He has also been on the board of directors for the Geneva Academic Foundation and the Geneva Community Chest.

Kilburg, a resident since 1986, first joined City Council in 2011. He will begin his fourth term as alderman for Ward 3 after Tuesday's election. In this role, he has also served as a director on the Tri-City Ambulance Board of Directors.

Beyond City Council, Kilburg, who retired after working in agribusiness, serves on the Fermilab Community Advisory Board and as director of Geneva Community Chest.

Maladra, representing Geneva's fifth ward, first started on City Council in 2003. A resident since 1996, he worked as senior vice president of enterprise data services for a bank until his retirement in 2021.

An alderman for 20 years, Maladra has previously served as trustee and president of the Geneva Public Library District board and on the Geneva Strategic Plan Advisory Committee.