Edwardsville had a highly contended race for Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 Board and Terri Dalla Riva walked away with a defeat of incumbent Greg Roosevelt 2,579 to 2,152. Paul Pitts, Jill Bertels and Monica Laruent also retained their board positions in the election.
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Paul Pitts won a four-year term race over Vince Ojeda 2,405 to 2,268. From the remaining Congressional Townships, Jill Bertels and Monica Laurent prevailed with 2,882 and Monica Laurent with 2,777 votes. Lucas Siron followed with 2,189 votes.
Dalla Riva said she had a lot of grassroots support and she appreciated that.
“I had an overwhelming amount of support,” she said. “There are some very serious challenges ahead. I have been campaigning about that since I started. I look forward to work with the current board. I am looking forward to representing the stakeholders of the school system.”
Monica Laurent said she was very humbled at the outpouring of voters for her.
“It was a very contentious election,” Laurent said. “We worked really hard. Being on the school board is one of the most honorable election positions. I am honored people put me back in that position.”
Laurent said work begins today and it will be a tough time for the school board.
“It will require leadership and being able to make the tough decisions,” Laurent, a board member for 12 years, said.
Paul Pitts said the victory was in some ways bittersweet because he had hoped his colleague Greg Roosevelt would be re-elected.
“We still have major issues to work through given the new board,” he said. “I have been on the board for two terms and this will be my third term. I am excited and I am honored and humbled that the citizens of District 7 had enough confidence in me to re-elect me in a hard fought and close campaign.”
Jill Bertels, another incumbent, said she was very pleased at getting re-elected.
“We had a very long and hard fought election, but I am also proud Paul and Monica were both re-elected,” she said. “I want to thank Greg for all his years of service. I look forward to working with Terri and the other board members and to keep making the right decisions for the students within the district.”
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