Zabrocki, Team Tinley Incumbents Stay in Office

Given his 40-plus years of political history in Tinley Park, Mayor Ed Zabrocki had his eyes set Tuesday to the village's future, speaking about the "leaders of tomorrow" as he won his ninth term.

Zabrocki defeated challenger Steve Eberhardt, a Tinley Park lawyer, with about 70 percent of the vote in a heated and contentious race. The rest of ticket of incumbents on Zabrocki's Team Tinley also were victorious against the opponents on Eberhardt's side of the ballot.

2013 ELECTION RESULTS: Find Out How All the Races Affecting Tinley Park Turned Out

Dave Seaman, T.J. Grady and Brian Maher retained their Village Board of Trustees seats. They faced Andrew DeLuca, Nancy Petro and Karen Weigand, who were part an opposition ticket led by Eberhardt.

Patrick Rea, who also was a part of Team Tinley, ran unopposed, keeping his position as Village Clerk.

"I pledge to work with these great trustees—and village clerk—who are our current leaders, and I pledge we will identify the leaders of tomorrow," Zabrocki said in a prepared statement. "I pledge we will identify them within the ranks of those who are volunteering right now to make Tinley Park better."

"It's a been long day. That's all you can say," said Eberhardt, who gathered with his supporters and fellow opposition candidates at the clubhouse for the Edenbridge-in-Tinley apartment complex. "I learned a lot about political machines. My heart goes out to the people of Tinley Park."

Eberhardt said he was disheartened by the low voter turnout and thought more residents would support his efforts to stop business-as-usual when it came to village politics.

"I agree with the clerks of Will and Cook counties: People need to get out and vote, he said, adding, "In a way, I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised."

While Tuesday might have marked the end of the election, it certainly didn't put a stop to the acrimony between the mayoral candidates. In his victory statement, Zabrocki took a pointed jab at Eberhardt, saying, "The leaders of tomorrow’s Tinley Park will not include those who mean to tear down to get ahead."

For his part Tuesday night, Eberhardt continued to criticize Zabrocki for resorting to personal attacks, focusing on a divorce and bankruptcy instead of debating the issues.

"He wouldn't debate, he wouldn't debate," Eberhardt said. "He called me a liar to one of your media colleagues and that's why he wouldn't debate me. Because Eberhardt's a liar."

Eberhardt also issued this challenge to the mayor the next time his administration needed to appoint and fill a position, such as board seat suddenly becoming open:

"I dare Ed Zabrocki to appoint a Steve Eberhardt or a Karen Weigand or an Andrew DeLuca or a Nancy Petro or anyone like them who's not going to be a yes man or yes woman. I dare him."

Newly re-elected trustee Brian Maher, however, made a point Tuesday at Team Tinley's victory celebration at Bailey's Bar & Grill to extend an olive branch if not to Eberhardt and the other opposition candidates, at least to their supporters.

"I just want the people who didn't vote for [Team Tinley] to know that we want to work to do what's best for them and all the people of Tinley Park," he said.

More 2013 Election Stories Affecting Tinley Park

• 2013 Election Tinley Park Results: See Who Will Represent You
• New Face Joins Familiar Ones of 3 Re-Elected D140 Trustess
• Wagner Keeps Moraine Board Seat; Cunningham Wins 2-Year Term
• 2013 Election Central: Replay Tuesday Night's Live Blog

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