Longtime Darien Incumbent Faces Opponent

Group 1 - The only competitive City Council race in Darien's April 1 election is in Ward 1, where incumbent Ted Schauer faces challenger John Mayrens [1] - Ted Schauer has been on the council since 2009 and has previously run unopposed in the last two elections [2] - John Mayrens, a blue-collar union worker, decided to run for the council after feeling that issues raised by residents were not addressed by Schauer [3][4] Group 2 - Mayrens expressed that the process of becoming a candidate was challenging for political newcomers, involving significant effort and legal consultations [5] - Other wards in Darien, including Ward 3, Ward 5, and Ward 7, have candidates running unopposed, with no mayoral or other council seats up for election this cycle [7] - Competitive races are rare in nearby towns, with Western Springs and La Grange having not seen competitive elections for many years [8]