Challenger To Trump-Supporting Bolingbrook Mayor Concedes

Roger Claar
Incumbent Roger Claar (above) on Wednesday held a slight lead over Jackie Traynere in Tuesday's election for mayor of Bolingbrook. Claar's support for President Donald Trump became a flashpoint during the campaign. Miles Bryan / WBEZ
Roger Claar
Incumbent Roger Claar (above) on Wednesday held a slight lead over Jackie Traynere in Tuesday's election for mayor of Bolingbrook. Claar's support for President Donald Trump became a flashpoint during the campaign. Miles Bryan / WBEZ

Challenger To Trump-Supporting Bolingbrook Mayor Concedes

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A suburban Chicago mayor who held a fundraiser for President Donald Trump last year will keep his seat after his challenger conceded Wednesday.

Jackie Traynere, a Will County commissioner and union organizer backed by top Democrats, said in a statement that she has conceded to Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar, who faced criticism for hosting then presidential candidate Trump at a September fundraiser in the southwest suburb. 

“I congratulate Mayor Claar on his victory,” Traynere said in the statement. “It was important to the voters of Bolingbrook and to the volunteers on both sides that the vote be accurate and complete. Today, we know what we suspected on election night. We came up just a little bit short.”

Traynere’s concession in the April 4 runoff election comes after her campaign examined ballots counted by the Will County clerk.

With all precincts reporting, Claar led by more than 100 votes once officials counted the precincts from a sliver of Bolingbrook located in neighboring DuPage County.

Will County officials said they would wait on mail ballots postmarked by April 4 and provisional ballots before certifying the election on April 25.

Claar, 71, first took office in 1986, and has easily won re-election since then with little or no opposition.

Claar faced criticism after inviting then-presidential candidate Trump to Bolingbrook for a fundraiser at a city-owned golf club. Traynere has used Claar’s support of Trump to earn endorsements from prominent politicians who would not normally get involved in a mayoral race, including Illinois Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.