In a race decided by a difference of 111 votes, Laura LaPlaca, a village trustee, lost her bid for Hinsdale Village President to incumbent Thomas Cauley Jr.
The final vote count left Cauley with 1,598 votes, compared to LaPlaca’s 1,487 votes.
LaPlaca campaigned on promoting term limits and open dialogue between village residents and leadership. As a village trustee, LaPlaca believed that she had the experience and know-how to bring about positive change within the village.
The Hinsdale Village Caucus, which also supported term limits, endorsed LaPlaca. In addition to noting that Cauley was the first village president to serve more than a single term, LaPlaca strongly opposed the widening of the Interstate 294 tollway. She previously said she worried about the effect of losing sales tax revenue from the Oasis, which amounts to more than 10 percent of the village's total sales tax. She was also concerned the project would encroach on backyards and park space.
It’s no surprise that the Hinsdale Village Caucus supported LaPlaca. The caucus also declined to support Cauley when he ran for re-election in 2013, citing bylaws that prevented the caucus from supporting village presidential candidates for more than one term. At the time, the caucus valued Cauley’s experience and chose not to endorse any other candidates in the race.
Cauley will serve a third term as village president. During the campaign, he touted his achievements as president. Answering questions about term limits, he said many voters had expressed support for him.
“I would like to let the voters decide," he told the Chicago Tribune.
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