‘We Did It’: Center appears to sink Stone for spot on Highland Park City Council

(Editor’s note: This story was updated with comments from Jon Center on Thursday, April 3, and comments from Kim Stone on Wednesday, April 2.)

One of the most highly anticipated and fiercely campaigned races in The Record’s coverage area came down to the wire.

Challenger Jonathan Center appears to have ousted incumbent Kim Stone for a seat on Highland Park’s City Council by a thin margin, according to unofficial Lake County election results.

Center holds a narrow lead of approximately 300 votes — 2,353 votes to longtime council member Stone’s 2,038 — with 25 of 25 precincts reporting, per county election data. Candidate Kevin K. Cullather will finish third in the race as he gathered just over 300 votes in the contest.

The unofficial election results include election-date votes, early-voting results and mail-in voting results, according to the Lake County Clerk’s office. Provisional ballots and late-arriving mail-in ballots are not included in the results.

If preliminary election results hold, Center will earn a two-year seat on the City Council. The seat was originally held by Jeff Hoobler and then taken over by Barisa Bruckman after Hoobler’s resignation. Bruckman ran for a full term this cycle, opening up the nonexpiring 2-year term.

“I am so grateful, honored and humbled to be entrusted to represent Highland Park — the community I so dearly love and that I was privileged to grow up in,” Center said in a statement sent to The Record. 

He added, “As a parent of young children, CPA with over a decade of experience at the global accounting firm EY, and current small business CFO, I am excited to bring a combination of fresh perspective and critical skills to help revitalize Highland Park today and for the future.”

Center also told The Record he’s excited to be one of the “several candidates elected across sister governments who represent the next generation of leadership — one focused on transparency, forward thinking and positivity. 

In the opening of his statement, Center thanked Stone for her “12 years of dedicated service to Highland Park,” adding that “her contributions will not soon be forgotten.”

Center concluded by thanking “all who voted and the community at large.”

“I can’t wait to get to work,” he said. 

Stone offered thanks to the Highland Park community for the support residents have shown her over her 12 years on the council. 

“I want to say thank you to the residents of Highland Park for the opportunity to campaign for continued service on the council,” Stone told The Record. “While the outcome wasn’t what we hoped for, I’m grateful for the conversations, support and trust of so many in our community. I congratulate the winners and I wish them success as they take on the responsibility of leading our community.”

Stone also said that she will remain “committed to Highland Park” and that she’ll “continue to be an active and engaged resident working toward the values we all share.”

“A special thanks to our families, our incredible volunteers and everyone who stood with me,” Stone concluded. “It’s really been an honor to serve on the council for 12 years.” 

Hoobler resigned from office in April of 2024 after his status on the council came into question because of a City regulation that did not allow elected officials to hold liquor licenses, The Record previously reported in detail. Hoobler, who is the co-founder of Steep Ravine Brewing Company, was the leading vote-getter among five candidates in the 2023 council election.

In February of 2024, the City Council voted against amending its liquor code to allow liquor-license holders to hold local office. The decision led to backlash from many community members, who confronted city officials during board meetings in March and April.

Hoobler subsequently resigned from office. Highland Park mayor Nancy Rotering then appointed Bruckman to fill Hoobler’s seat.

Highland Park councilmembers reversed course in February of this year when they unanimously voted to change the city’s controversial liquor law. More than 80 percent of Highland Park voters cast their support toward changing the law during the November 2024 general election when a non-binding advisory referendum question about the matter was placed on the ballot.

Stone was one of the councilmembers who first opposed amending the provision in the city’s code and had defended the council’s decision to wait to consider a code change a second time. She touted endorsements from Mayor Nancy Rotering and Councilmembers Bruckman and Yumi Ross.

Center had Hoobler’s endorsement, as well as current councilmembers Annette Lidawer and Andrés Tapia.

In a separate race for seats on the council, voters reelected incumbents Bruckman, Lidawer and Tapia to four-year seats on the council in an uncontested race.

Center was the pick of the political action committee HP Forward, which contributed $10,000 to his campaign, according to campaign finance details. Center also received more than $7,000 in funds from the owners of Beal Properties.

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