Oswego voters will have a real choice for village president next spring after Republican Brian Thomas filed to challenge Democratic incumbent Ryan Kauffman in the race for the village's top elected office. The filing, submitted before the village's first filing period closed Monday, sets up a rematch of sorts in a town that has seen plenty of competitive village president contests over the past several years.
Kauffman, the sitting village president, filed for reelection, while Thomas, a Republican and former Oswego Village Board member, filed to take his seat, according to WSPYnews.com. The position carries a four-year term and is the only village president seat on the ballot, according to the Village of Oswego. The first candidate filing period ran Oct. 19-26, giving candidates just over a week to turn in paperwork before Monday's deadline.
A Second Filing Window Still Ahead
The contest isn't fully locked in yet. The village has confirmed it will hold a second candidate filing period in November, running Nov. 16-23, which is open to independent candidates and new political parties, per the same WSPY report. That means additional names could still surface before the field for village president — or other village races — is finalized.
Despite the contested race, the village says there won't be a primary election this cycle, according to a village statement cited by WSPY. The Village of Oswego's election calendar does list a consolidated primary for Feb. 23, 2027, but only “if applicable,” leaving open the possibility that the primary date goes unused if the field doesn't require it. The last day to register to vote ahead of the general election is March 9, 2027, per the village.
Village Board Seats Also in Play
The village president race isn't the only contest taking shape. Incumbent Democratic trustees Karin McCarthy-Lange and Andrew Torres both filed to run for reelection to the Oswego Village Board, according to WSPY. They'll be joined on the ballot by outgoing state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, who filed to run for a village board seat after announcing she won't seek another term in the Illinois General Assembly.
Kifowit has represented Illinois' 84th District since she was first elected to the General Assembly in 2012, according to Shaw Local. Her move from Springfield to local government marks a shift in focus toward Oswego's village-level politics as she steps away from her state legislative seat.
A Familiar Rivalry With Local Roots
This isn't the first time Thomas and Kauffman's names have crossed paths in an Oswego village president race. In 2023, Thomas challenged then-incumbent Troy Parlier in a Republican primary, with the winner set to face Kauffman, then a Democratic candidate and former trustee, in the April 4 general election, according to the Chicago Tribune. That 2023 primary saw Thomas running as part of a slate with Robert Lockwood, Michael Wirtz and Sarah Zamed, the Tribune reported. Parlier himself had won the office in a three-way race against incumbent Gail Johnson back in 2019.
Thomas and Kauffman have staked out different positions on development and local business policy during their time on the village board. Thomas voted against allowing cannabis retail stores and manufacturers within village boundaries and also opposed the Avanterra, Hudson Pointe and Tiffany Station housing developments, per earlier WSPY reporting. Kauffman, for his part, has said he wants to incentivize new businesses coming to Oswego and has argued the village already has enough rental housing, according to the same outlet.
With the second filing period still ahead in November and no primary planned this cycle, the shape of Oswego's April ballot may not be fully settled for weeks. For now, the village president race stands as a direct contest between the incumbent and his Republican challenger, with the village board race drawing its own mix of familiar incumbents and a notable newcomer in Kifowit.
