On May 13, Northbrook’s Village Board was officially sworn in, marking the start of a new term and the close of a particularly contentious election season. The evening opened on a note of reflection and gratitude, as the President honored two of its longest-serving and most dedicated public servants: former Village Clerk A.C. Buehler III (33 years of service) and former Trustee Dan Pepoon (21).
Each was recognized with a formal resolution acknowledging their decades of steady leadership, their unwavering commitment to Northbrook, and their focus on building consensus in even the most difficult moments. Their parting remarks were gracious and deeply felt. Board members—both returning and newly elected—echoed that appreciation, making clear that Northbrook is better for their service—and likely worse off, at least in the short term, without them.
There was even discussion—perhaps only half joking—of bringing one of them back to assist with a recurring challenge: the persistent difficulty in filling the many open seats on our citizen commissions (though not, it must be said, the deeper systemic issues with actually making the best use of the expertise on these commissions). It was a moment that reminded us how valuable institutional knowledge and civic spirit are.
It was a meaningful start to the board’s new term—a moment to honor the past and reflect on how to carry those values forward. It was also a chance to take steps that would begin to restore trust and heal divisions from a deeply divisive village election.
The final agenda item—reaffirming the Village’s Welcoming and Inclusive Pledge—seemed like the perfect opportunity to springboard off that goodwill and signal a genuine commitment to bringing the community together.
But instead of deepening that sense of unity, what followed ultimately rang hollow.
The President introduced the resolution with the following remarks:
“Y'all have seen the way politics is going in the world—and certainly in our community. The first thing I did as Village President was ask the Village Board to adopt a resolution approving our Welcoming and Inclusive Pledge. We have seen so much hate, so much discrimination, so much incivility in our country and in our community—what is something we can do in our community to be better? Not only to promise to be better—we promise to call it out. We really, really want to be a community that stares down discrimination, hatred, and intolerance and acts in a way that makes our children proud.”
The Welcoming and Inclusive Community Pledge affirms that signatories must speak out against any and all discrimination, xenophobia, and hatred. It declares that no one in our community should be targeted because of their race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital and/or familial status, language, mental and/or physical impairment and/or disability, military status, economic class, immigration status, or any of the other characteristics so often used to divide people. It’s a clear and powerful statement of shared values.
Following her remarks, the Village President called—just as she has after the two most recent elections—for a motion to reaffirm the Village’s commitment to the pledge, encouraging residents to add their names to it on the Village website.
The board unanimously reaffirmed the pledge. Each member voiced personal support. The mood in the room was warm—even celebratory.
For the record, my wife and I signed the pledge more than three months ago—and we’re still not listed among the signatories. A small thing, maybe. But when even this gesture of inclusion doesn’t follow through, it’s hard not to question how deep the commitment really goes.
For all the symbolic opportunity in the meeting, there was no acknowledgment of what had just unfolded in our community. No ownership of the tone or tactics used in a campaign that every board member either ran in or endorsed. It was as if the ugliness had come solely from “the other side,” and this board had simply endured it—rising above the fray, reaffirming their values, and inviting the rest of Northbrook to move on.
In the wake of such a contentious election, one might have hoped the winners would acknowledge the harm done and take meaningful steps to repair it. Instead, they appear content to do what they’ve always done: re-affirm a pledge—despite the irony that so much of the spirit of it was so often absent from the Caucus-endorsed campaign and its supporters.
This was the same campaign in which the Democrats of Northfield inexplicably weighed in and fired the first salvo at the Northbrook Focused candidates—resorting to old-school scare tactics. Later, they even distributed a voter guide that explicitly questioned whether the opposition candidates were genuine or committed. The sitting Village President publicly labeled her opponent as anti-LGBTQ, homophobic, and anti-trans—based on a single “like” on a single comment on a single Facebook post. That same opponent received an anonymous letter threatening to dredge up a 30-year-old expunged arrest—an absurd personal attack that was never disavowed by the Caucus-aligned candidates. One now-seated trustee labeled the opposing slate as “MAGA,” reducing a group of local residents to a national political caricature. Another trustee, during the only candidate forum (which the opposition didn’t attend), used much of their closing statement not to articulate a vision for Northbrook, but to criticize their absent opponents—prompting the moderator to admonish them to stick to the rules of the forum. A Village commissioner posted a photo of an opposing candidate’s unshoveled sidewalk on social media as supposed evidence of “unfitness for office.” And on at least two occasions, the Village President liked social media posts that mocked or belittled her political opponents.
The rhetoric from some Caucus supporters was even harsher. The Focused candidates themselves—their inexperience, their status as everyday neighbors rather than seasoned officials, even their past voting history—were repeatedly mocked. Their candidacy was frequently dismissed as unserious, even compared to a frat party. Unwelcome comments on the Caucus’s own social media pages were quietly scrubbed, reinforcing the idea that only one kind of voice deserved to be heard.
Not every board member participated in the behavior outlined above—but all of them endorsed the candidates who did. And none publicly condemned even the worst excesses of the campaign, whether from fellow candidates or their most vocal supporters. That silence speaks volumes. When you lend your name to a slate and remain silent in the face of unacceptable conduct, you implicitly accept the whole package.
None of this is to say the campaign was one-sided—there was plenty of nonsense to go around. But winning has consequences. The Caucus-endorsed candidates ran on steady-handed leadership (“Caucus over Chaos,” remember?) and still came away with the narrowest margin in recent memory, despite the rather unorthodox campaign mounted by their opponents.
And yet, an even deeper concern remains—a growing comfort with partisanship in what’s supposed to be a nonpartisan village.
All board members endorsed the Caucus slate, which in turn was supported by a coordinated network of Democratic Party officials—including multiple sitting state legislators. No comparable Republican endorsements were made for either slate. So while the election was technically nonpartisan, the lived experience for residents didn’t feel that way.
If there was hope that the partisanship might end on election day, those hopes were quickly dashed.
On May 12—the day before that board meeting—this press release was issued:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: May 12, 2025 (updated) Media Contact: Democrats of Northfield Township 847-998-1002 info@northfielddems.org
Tracy Katz Muhl Announces Run for 10th District Democratic State Central Committeewoman
Tracy Katz Muhl, a champion for Democratic values and a proven party builder, has announced her candidacy for 10th District Committeewoman on the Democratic Party of Illinois State Central Committee. Katz Muhl, the current Illinois State Representative for the 57th District, brings a track record of grassroots organizing, legislative effectiveness, and party leadership. As Northfield Township Democratic Committeeperson, she leads one of the most successful township organizations in the state, helping elect Democrats up and down the ballot in critical suburban races. In recognition of her work, Katz Muhl received a prestigious county Party Builder Award in 2022.
"I’m running to strengthen our party infrastructure, expand Democratic wins across the 10th District, and ensure our values are represented at every level of government," said Katz Muhl. "This role is about building bridges between communities, energizing our base, and making sure the Democratic Party is inclusive, strategic, and forward-thinking."
Katz Muhl enters the race with broad support from across the district, including endorsements from six Lake County countywide elected officials and dozens of current and former state legislators; county, township, and local elected leaders; party chairs; and community advocates. With deep roots in the district and a reputation for hard work and collaboration, she is poised to bring experienced, energetic leadership to the State Central Committee.
Endorsements (in formation):
State Representative Daniel Didech
State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
State Representative Joyce Mason
State Representative Rita Mayfield
State Representative Bob Morgan
State Representative Suzanne Ness
State Senator & Wheeling Township Democratic Committeeperson Mark Walker
Lake County Coroner & Libertyville Township Democratic Chair Jennifer Banek
Lake County Circuit Court Clerk Erin Cartwright Weinstein
Lake County Regional Office of Education Superintendent Dr. Michael Karner
Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg
Lake County Treasurer & Lake County Democrats Vice Chair Holly Kim
Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega
Lake County Board Member Esiah Campos
Lake County Board Member & Warren Township Democratic Chair Carissa Casbon
Lake County Board Member Diane Hewitt
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart
Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon
Cook County Clerk of Court Mariyana Spyropoulos
Cook County Board Member Scott Britton
New Trier Township Supervisor Gail Eisenberg
Vernon Township Supervisor Tim Kobler
Avon Township Clerk Kristal Larson
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering
Highland Park Trustee (ret.) Alyssa Knobel
Northbrook President Kathryn Ciesla
Lake Bluff Park District Board of Commissioners President Jennifer Beeler
Waukegan Park District Commissioner Anton Mathews
Lake County Democrats Chair & Illinois State Representative (ret.) Lauren Beth Gash
Lake County Democrats First Vice Chair Nancy Shepherdson
Moraine Township Democratic Chair Colleen Jenn
Lake Villa Township Democratic Chair Kasia Kondracki
Northfield Township Democratic Committeeperson Emeritus Mike Kreloff
New Trier Township Democratic Committeeperson Dean Maragos
Waukegan Township Democratic Chair Matt Muchowski
West Deerfield Township Democratic Chair Kim Parson
Vernon Township Democratic Chair Sheila Sebor
Pinta Pride Project Founder Carolyn Pinta
Paid for by Friends of Tracy Katz Muhl
In case you missed it: one of the endorsements listed for a candidate running for an internal Democratic Party leadership role came from the Northbrook Village President.
Not as a resident. Not as an area attorney. Not as a longtime supporter.
As Northbrook Village President—an official, nonpartisan title in a village that has historically rejected partisan politics in our local elections. Candidates here don’t run on party lines, and voters aren’t asked to choose between Democrats and Republicans. That’s what made the wave of partisan endorsements during the last election so concerning—and why seeing the Village President’s official title now appear in a press release for an internal Democratic Party leadership race feels like a line has been crossed.
And it raises a fundamental question: how does this help Northbrook?
Using an official government title to endorse a candidate for Democratic State Central Committeewoman doesn’t help us fill commission seats, revitalize downtown, or rebuild public trust.
More urgently: how can this board credibly lead Northbrook through contentious and complex issues—especially as attention-seeking partisan agitators seek to further divide us—if it refuses to speak up about the very dynamics eroding public trust? Ugly campaign tactics. The growing influence of partisan politics in our elections. And now, overt involvement in internal party power plays.
The board’s silence isn’t just disappointing—it amounts to tacit agreement. It sends a clear signal: partisan alignment is now acceptable. And in doing so, it raises an uncomfortable question—whether the priorities of Northbrook will take a back seat to the priorities of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
This isn’t about relitigating results. It’s about how we move forward—together. And that starts with honesty about what just happened and a shared commitment to do better. If we’re going to reaffirm pledges about inclusion, integrity, and respect—and genuinely hope to heal a divided community—we have to be willing to examine our own actions. We have to acknowledge when our words don’t match our conduct.
Imagine if the board paired symbolic pledges with real reforms—like nonpartisan endorsement standards, a public campaign code, a citizen advisory council, and meaningful outreach to residents with differing views. These aren’t radical ideas. They’re responsible steps toward more transparency and trust in our village government.
But if the current trajectory holds, meaningful reform may have to wait until 2027 and beyond.