Mayoral candidates are already making their appearances in Gurnee and Vernon Hills

Gurnee Mayor Tom Hood is running for re-election in 2025.

National politics may be in the spotlight, but candidates for a pair of Lake County mayoral seats are already launching campaigns for local elections in April.

Thom Koch Jr.

In Gurnee, incumbent Mayor Tom Hood said this week he would run for a second four-year term. And in Vernon Hills, longtime village trustee Thom Koch Jr. will run for the position formally known as village president but informally known as mayor.

Both have a long history of commitment to their respective communities and say they want to continue serving and carrying out various initiatives.

Because of their extensive commercial bases, Gurnee and Vernon Hills are always leaders in sales tax in Lake County and as such do not charge municipal property taxes. Both candidates say they will continue to do so.

Hood is an attorney who grew up in the town and served as chairman of the village’s zoning board, then for eight years as a trustee before being elected mayor in 2021.

He said safety is a priority, highlighting the addition of a fire station and “the most ambitious hiring of police officers in Gurnee history” during his tenure. That allowed for more officers at schools, at Six Flags Great America and Gurnee Mills, and in neighborhoods, he said.

Proactive economic development and a strong business base have enabled a high level of services in the town, Hood added. Conservative spending and investment in the business sector have resulted in economic growth during his tenure and have put the town in a strong financial position, he said.

Goals for a second term include establishing a 911 center with other Lake County governments, revitalizing Gurnee’s east side, hosting more neighborhood events and attracting new businesses and entertainment.

Koch has served as Town Manager since 1993, the same year then-Manager Roger Byrne was elected Mayor, a position he continues to hold to this day. Koch has served as Mayor Pro Tem since February 2022, when Byrne suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome and subsequent health issues and has been unable to attend in-person meetings.

“I enjoy doing it and I thought this might be a good time to step up and do the work on a regular basis,” said Koch, a retired social studies teacher from Hawthorn Elementary District 73.

Koch said he enjoys helping the community in his role on the village board, which has become less hectic since he retired.

Byrne has done a “great job,” Koch said, and he wants to keep it up. The two ran on the same ticket in 2021. Byrne said Thursday that he is “getting better all the time” but wants to assess his situation before deciding whether to run for a ninth term.

Among the projects Koch said he wants to pursue is the ongoing $250 million redevelopment of the 1970s-era Hawthorn Mall, considered the centerpiece of the town’s vast retail base.

The first day to file nomination petitions for local offices is November 12 and the last day is November 18.