Nine residents are vying for four open seats on the Naperville City Council next April.
The deadline for submitting candidate petitions for the 2025 municipal election was today at 5 p.m.
Paul Leong is the only incumbent to not run for re-election
Three sitting council members will seek re-election: Ian Holzhauer, Jennifer Bruzan Taylor, and Benny White.
Councilman Ian Holzhauer was first elected to the city council in 2021. The U.S. Air Force veteran is an equity partner at Campbell Holzhauer Concierge Law, an estate planning and business law firm. Holzahuer served on the NCTV17 board from 2018 to 2020.
Councilwoman Jennifer Bruzan Taylor has been on the dais since 2021. A career lawyer, she worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and has taught Constitutional Law at North Central College.
Councilman Benny White was first elected to the city council in 2017. The retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army previously served on the Indian Prarie School District 204 Board of Education and founded the local nonprofit Naperville Neighbors United. White is currently a board liaison for NCTV17.
The only incumbent who will not run in 2025 is Councilman Paul Leong. He was elected to the dais in 2021, having previously served on the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education.
Leong said between the city council, a full-time position in downtown Chicago, and work with area organizations, he was “stretched a bit thin.” After speaking with his family, he decided not to file a petition for re-election.
Leong said he is most proud of helping the city become more financially responsible during his time on the dais.
“This council, we’re currently (at a) $70 (to) $80 million surplus, I’m thrilled about that,” Leong said. “I got to visit all corners of Naperville geographically, I met with many groups, as well as many people.”
Leong currently serves as a board liaison for NCTV17.
The six other candidates who submitted petitions to run for city council are Meghna Bansal, Mary Gibson, Nag Jaiswal, Derek McDaniel, Farid Malik Shabazz, and Ashfaq Syed.
Mary Gibson is the President of the Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners. She has worked as the director of a Missouri-based data analytics firm and currently serves on the Naperville Riverwalk Commission.
Derek McDaniel is a senior financial advisor and area business owner, who is currently on the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. He previously ran for city council in 2023 but was taken off the preliminary ballot due to an issue with his petition. McDaniel has served as an NCTV17 board member.
A fellow Planning and Zoning Commissioner, Meghna Bansal has worked as a finance executive for the past two decades. She ran an unsuccessful campaign for city council in 2023.
Farid Malik Shabazz most recently worked as a lead support technician and launched his first bid for a spot on the city council.
Nag Jaiswal works as a senior program architect. He and his wife, Sheela, founded an area nonprofit Salome Foundation. Jaiswal ran for a seat on the city council in 2023 but was unsuccessful.
Ashfaq Syed has spent the last 30 years working as a banker and currently serves as President of the Naperville Public Library Board of Trustees. He was unsuccessful in his city council campaign in 2023.
Three people picked up packets to run for city council but did not fill them out, according to City Clerk Dawn Portner.
Ballot order lottery on Nov. 4
A lottery will be held for ballot order on Monday, Nov. 4 at noon in the Naperville Municipal Center Council Chambers, 400 S. Eagle St.
The election is on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!