Skokie’s election season did not end on election day, and a district trustee declared victory in a down-to-the-wire finish almost two weeks after the polls closed.
Unofficial election results from Cook County showed that on election night, April 1, 4th district trustee candidate Edward Olivieri was in the lead against his opponent Jim Iverson. But two weeks later, after many mail-in ballots came in for Iverson, Olivieri conceded to Iverson. He lost by nine votes.
“At the end of the election (night), I was behind 40 (votes),” Iverson recalled. “Then the mail-in ballot votes came in, and they would upload them in a bunch.”
“So one bunch went up and his (Olivieri’s) lead went from 40 to 21. And then another went in, and I went from 21 (votes) behind, to like six ahead, and that all happened last week,” he said.
Cook County Clerk Spokesperson Sally Daly told Pioneer Press that all of the mail-in ballots have been counted in Skokie’s elections, and that Iverson’s nine vote lead is accurate.
When the vote was too close to call, Iverson wrote a letter to the editor saying that he would not contest the election results. Olivieri publicly conceded on April 14, later also writing a letter to the editor saying that he would not contest the results either.
“Part of the reason why neither of us want to do a recount is because we don’t want to divide the community,” Olivieri told Pioneer Press. “And if that happens, then there (might) be some level of animosity, right? We don’t want that to happen, and so that’s why both of us said we’re not doing a recount. Let the chips fall where they may, and we’re going to stick with that.”
Iverson and Olivieri both said that they ran a positive and collegial campaign. “We are neighbors first, and political opponents, in a way, second,” Olivieri. “We have a very, very special community here, and maintaining that is the highest priority.”
“Jim and I were competitors, but not adversaries. We met on the campaign. I didn’t know Jim before, but to know Jim is to love him. He’s a really, really good person, and I have every confidence that he’s going to do a great job,” Olivieri added.
Iverson returned many of those compliments when he spoke to Pioneer Press. “We both hold one another in high regard, and we’re both willing to accept the referee’s decision.”
Cook County election results show that Olivieri performed better in precincts where he resides in the Fairview neighborhood, and Iverson performed better where he is known better in downtown Skokie. Olivieri is a volunteer and member of the Fairview School District 72 Parent Teacher Association, and Iverson owns the building of 7925-7927 N. Lincoln Ave., where Will’s Place and Aw Yeah Comics are located.
Iverson in the past also ran a business at a Warren Street building, Mini Man Monkey Brains, a nonprofit candy store that employed special needs youth. The business at one point was also located at the Lincoln Avenue property.
“The fact is that I know a lot of people in and around downtown Skokie, and I believe that Eddie knows a lot of people in and around the Fairview area,” Iverson said, explaining his thoughts on what made up his and Oliveri’s electoral bases.
Olivieri echoed Iverson’s sentiments. “If you think of it by school district… I would say I won (Fairview School District) 72 and he won (Skokie School District) 69.”
Iverson, and the rest of the winning candidates, was sworn in to the village board on Monday.
