The Antioch, Illinois consolidated election took place on April 6, 2021, in which three-term Mayor Larry Hanson had lost his seat to local attorney Scott Gartner. In the race, there were three front-running candidates for the mayor’s seat. According to the Daily Herald, Stacy Ellis had finished with 321 votes, Hanson with 745 and Gartner obtained 1,301 votes, securing a landslide victory over the incumbent.
Gartner went on to say how the overall atmosphere in politics had also influenced his run this year.
“Just watching the events of politics the last year in our country, in our town and in our state, I felt that I couldn’t sit back and continue to complain about the lack of civility in our politics without doing something about it,” Garnter said. “So that’s what really inspired me to do this.”
Additionally, Antioch residents had voted for trustees to represent them in their local government in this election. According to the Chicago Tribune, a major factor for a lot of Antioch voters was stimulating the local business economy and getting them back on track following the COVID-19 outbreak.
Many businesses in general had taken a hit during the pandemic, but small, local businesses had an arguably larger problem to worry about. Places like J. J. Blinkers, a small joke-shop located on Main Street, had permanently closed during the pandemic along with David’s Bistro, a local restaurant.
“I hope to help revitalize the business district to bring in more sales and business tax revenue into the town,” Gartner said in response to these issues.
Following his landslide victory over an incumbent candidate, Scott Gartner is hoping for a “change of culture,” as he brings new ideas to the table in Antioch’s local government.
