DeSart wins DuPage County Board District 5 seat

Dawn DeSart, a Democrat, won the DuPage County Board District 5 race on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Daniel Alejandro Lomeli with 31,156 votes (69.0%) to Lomeli's 13,968 votes (31.0%), according to unofficial results from DuPage County Clerk.

All 92 of 92 reporting units have reported, with 45,124 votes counted and a margin of 17,188 votes.

District 5 covers parts of Naperville, Aurora and Lisle. DeSart has served on the board since December 2018, and her current term expires Dec. 7.

What the candidates said

Neither DeSart nor Lomeli had commented publicly on the results.

What was at stake

The DuPage County Board manages county funds and business, including fiscal and regulatory powers. The board sets policy through tax levies and spending.

The key issues:

• Lomeli, who described himself as a moderate Republican in a candidate questionnaire, said he ran to give back to a county where he grew up, attended school and helps his parents operate a family restaurant in Lisle.
• DeSart chairs the board's Legislative Committee and previously served on the Indian Prairie School District 204 board from 2009 to 2013.
• The two candidates offered different levels of government experience. DeSart has held elected office since 2009. Lomeli listed no prior elected or appointed positions.

A little history

DeSart, a Naperville resident for more than 40 years, worked as a journalist at NBC5-Chicago and is a five-time Emmy Award winner, according to her county board profile.

She holds a bachelor's degree in mass communications from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Lomeli, born in 2002, graduated from Metea Valley High School in 2021 and earned a double major in political science and philosophy from North Central College in 2025, according to his campaign website.

He has volunteered with local organizations and helped organize the St. Patrick's Day parade in Naperville.

What's next

These results are unofficial. Illinois law does not allow automatic recounts, according to Ballotpedia. A losing candidate may request one if he or she received at least 95% of the winning candidate's vote total. The requester pays the cost.

Election results: DuPage County Board - District 5 (Illinois General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: DuPage County Clerk. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 9:36 p.m. CST. Reporting: 92 of 92. Unofficial results; every reporting unit has reported.