Hebreard wins DuPage forest preserve president race

Daniel Hebreard, the Democratic incumbent, won the DuPage County Forest Preserve Board president race with 203,789 votes, or 62.5%, to Republican Carl Schultz's 122,456 votes, or 37.5%, according to unofficial results from DuPage County Clerk. All 600 reporting units had reported, with 326,245 votes counted as of 11:25 p.m. Tuesday. Hebreard won by 81,333 votes, a margin of 25.0 percentage points.

What was at stake

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County manages 26,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, wetlands and waterways across 60 preserves, according to the district's website. The president is elected countywide and leads a seven-member board of commissioners. More than 5.9 million people visit the district's preserves and 175 miles of trails each year, according to the district.

The key issues:

• Schultz, in a candidate questionnaire, said the race came down to spending and project oversight. He said Hebreard raised the district's budget 70% in seven years while adding about 85 acres. Schultz said he added more than 1,450 acres during his time as commissioner. Those claims have not been independently verified.
• Hebreard said he wants to abolish pensions for commissioners, cut commissioner salaries by 70% to 75% and remove commissioner health care benefits, according to a candidate profile.
• The district broke ground Oct. 27 on $2.8 million in improvements at Greene Valley Forest Preserve, part of a master plan the board approved in 2023.

A little history

Hebreard has served as board president since 2018. He is a lifelong DuPage County resident who worked as a senior ranger at the district from 2005 to 2018, according to BallotReady data cited in a candidate profile. Hebreard said he was outspent $200,000 to $15,000 in 2018 but won the seat.

Schultz served as a District 5 commissioner from 2002 to 2012, according to BallotReady. He owns Horticultural Consultants, a horticulture business he has run since 1986. A district resolution from April 2025 lists him as a director of the Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.

Election results: DuPage County Forest Preserve Board - President (Illinois General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: DuPage County Clerk. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 11:25 p.m. CST. Reporting: 600 of 600. Unofficial results; every reporting unit has reported.