Espinoza defeats Stevens for DuPage County Board District 2 seat

Christopher Espinoza, a Democrat, won the DuPage County Board District 2 four-year seat with 38,452 votes (62.4%) to Republican Robert "Rusty" Stevens' 23,123 votes (37.6%), according to unofficial results from DuPage County Clerk. All 111 of 111 reporting units had reported as of 11:25 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, with 61,575 votes counted. Espinoza led by 15,329 votes.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Espinoza will be among the newest members of the county board. The seat is one of two District 2 positions on the Nov. 3 ballot. Two current District 2 board members, Paula Deacon Garcia and Yeena Yoo, hold terms that expire in December 2026, according to the DuPage County Board's member directory.

What was at stake

The DuPage County Board sets the county budget, tax levy and land-use policy for one of Illinois' most populous counties. The key issues:

• Espinoza listed middle-class housing as a priority on his campaign website, saying families, seniors and young residents should not be "priced out of the places they call home."
• In a candidate questionnaire, Espinoza said he brings a perspective shaped by having been homeless in DuPage County and relying on local services. He said that experience helps him understand "how policy works on paper and how it often times fails in practice."

A little history

Espinoza, a lifelong Downers Grove resident, has served on the District 99 Board of Education since 2021 and was reelected in April 2025, according to his candidate questionnaire. He holds a bachelor's degree in public policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and works as a staff assistant in the Office of the Illinois Senate President. The Tribune reported that Espinoza said during the campaign he would step down from his District 99 school board seat if elected to the county board.

What's next

The results remain unofficial until the canvass is complete. Some provisional ballots and vote-by-mail ballots have yet to be counted, according to NCTV17. Results will be official after canvassing no later than Nov. 24. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day can be received and counted for up to two weeks after the election, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Election results: DuPage County Board - District 2 (Illinois General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: DuPage County Clerk. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 11:25 p.m. CST. Reporting: 111 of 111. Unofficial results; every reporting unit has reported.