More people are announcing bids for the Naperville City Council, with Naperville School District 203 Board members Kristine Gericke and Marc Willensky and Naperville resident Xavier Sims confirming their intent to run.
They are three of seven potential candidates who picked up election petitions Tuesday, the first day they were available. The others were councilmen Josh McBroom and Nate Wilson, both of whom have said they are seeking reelection, Derek McDaniel and Chris DuPuis.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no other candidates had obtained petitions, which need to be submitted in October in order to be on the April 6, 2027, election ballot, Naperville city spokesperson Linda LaCloche said.
McDaniel declined to discuss whether he intends to run. DuPuis is unsure as to if he will be a candidate, a manager at his workplace said.
The news follows announcements earlier this week that in addition to McBroom and Wilson, Mayor Scott Wehrli plans to seek another four-year term and will be challenged by Councilman Benny White, who is seeking the job for a second time. Appointed council member Supna Jain said she is running but incumbent Councilman Patrick Kelly will not seek reelection.
Gericke was elected to the District 203 school board in 2017 and currently serves as its vice president.
“I’m in my 10th year on the District 203 School Board and I don’t believe you should be in a role forever (but) I don’t want to not serve in my community,” Gericke said. “I was looking to see how I can continue serving and (the) city council felt like the next natural step for me.”
The 54-year-old Naperville resident said affordability is a top issue for her, emphasizing her concern that teardowns of smaller homes to make way for larger houses is helping to contribute to the city’s affordability challenges. She wants to ensure Naperville has housing for all age groups, she said, noting that her 25-year-old son and 24-year-old daughter cannot afford to buy property in the city.
Environmental sustainability and the city’s energy future are also top of mind for Gericke, who voted alongside Willensky and other school board members to publicly oppose the city renewing its contract with current energy provider, the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency.
While she said she is unsure what the best solution is for the city’s energy future, she is happy the council is currently exploring other options.
Gericke has lived in Naperville since 1998 and works as a copy editor for a company called Epsilon. Outside of her time as school board member, she volunteers for CASA of DuPage County and used to be a leader for the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Brownies.
Willensky, elected to the District 203 school board in 2025, said his interest in bieng more involved in the decisions that affect Naperville is prompting his run.
Now retired after a career in accounting and finance, he said financial stewardship, public safety and thoughtful city planning are among his top priorities.
“I think we really need to think through what we want to look like as a city over the next 10, 20 years,” he said.
That would involve revisiting some of the city’s current zoning and examining where the city should add more businesses or housing, Willensky said. He supports the council pausing negotiations with IMEA to explore alternative energy options, citing financial and environmental concerns as reasons not to renew with IMEA.
Outside of his time as a school board member, Willensky is on the boards for Accelerate Climate Solutions, Alive Center and the River Prairie Group of the Sierra Club. The 62-year-old moved to Naperville about 2013, he said.
Sims, 37, moved to Naperville five years ago and works in U.S. Bank’s corporate and commercial banking unit as an assistant vice president marketing manager. He has not previously held elective office or served in local government. Issues Sims plans to focus on in his campaign include the city’s energy future, data centers in Naperville and residents’ overall quality of life, he said.
“Naperville has strong standards and I want to maintain those excellent city services that we already have here,” he said.
More Top Picks Best Air Purifiers For Seniors
Regarding the future electricity source, Sims said the city needs to pursue a more carbon-free resources and was happy when the council paused their negotiations with IMEA. As for data centers, while the last center proposal in Naperville was declined, he wants to ensure any future proposals coming to Naperville do not significantly contribute to pollution, he said.
Sims does not serve on the boards of any nonprofits or civic organizations, but noted that he believes his background in marketing helps give him an edge as a candidate.
“I think it gives me a unique view because I’m collaborating with tons of folks across the business … to understand how to make our dollars go further,” he said. “I think that gives me a unique perspective when I look at how to approach running for city council.”