Republican Daniel Alejandro Lomeli is running for the two-year District 5 seat on the DuPage County Board in the November 3, 2026, general election. He faces Democrat Dawn DeSart, according to the official county sample ballot.
This is a separate contest from District 5’s four-year seat, which lists Democrat Ian Holzhauer and Republican Chris Jacks.
Why he is running
In his submitted Surround Sound Media questionnaire, Lomeli says he wants to give back to the community where he grew up and attended school. He describes himself as a moderate Republican and says residents across political viewpoints deserve a place in local discussions.
“No matter if you are a Republican, Conservative, Democrat, Liberal, etc., you deserve a spot at the table to at least share your values and ideas,” he wrote.
Education and experience
Lomeli says he graduated from Metea Valley High School in 2021 and North Central College in 2025, with majors in political science and philosophy and minors in Spanish and social innovation. He says he has not held elected or appointed office.
He says he helps manage a family-owned restaurant in Lisle, handling operations including food preparation, customer service, interviewing and catering orders. He also describes helping organize Naperville’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and connecting fellow students with volunteer opportunities through Blue Key Honor Society.
Approach to service
Lomeli cites a nonprofit internship through the Washington Internship Institute as another part of his experience. He says he helped organize events and a conference attended by state legislators.
Asked for an example of his work ethic, he described choosing to stay and help conference staff after interns were excused early for the Fourth of July. He presents that experience as evidence that he puts duties first.
Responses are based on public data and answers to a Surround Sound Media questionnaire if they were provided.
