Editing Waukegan, Illinois (section)

== Government ==
The City of Waukegan is run on a [[mayor–council government]]. The city government consists of a single elected mayor and city clerk, with a city council composed of nine alderpersons, who are elected to represent the nine wards of the city. Any new members are sworn in on the first Monday in May of their respective election year, as it coincides with the first city council meeting of the month.

=== City council ===
The members of the city council<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aldermen |website=Waukegan, IL – Official Website|url=https://www.waukeganil.gov/188/Aldermen|access-date=April 11, 2021}}</ref> as of 2021 are:

{| class="wikitable"
|+Waukegan City Council
!Ward
!Name
!Party affiliation
|-
|1st Ward
|Sylvia Sims Bolton
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
|2nd Ward
|Jose A. Guzman
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
|3rd Ward
|Juan A. Martinez
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
|4th Ward
|Victor M. Felix
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
|5th Ward
|Edith L. Newsome
|{{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican
|-
|6th Ward
|Keith E. Turner
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
|7th Ward
|Michael P. Donnenwirth
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
|8th Ward
|Lynn M. Florian
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
|9th Ward
|Thomas J. Hayes
|{{Party shading/Independent}} | Independent
|-
|}

Members of the city council serve for four years and are all elected in the same election year. The last election was in April 2023.

=== Mayor ===
The mayor of Waukegan is [[Sam Cunningham (mayor)|Sam Cunningham]]. He was elected in April 2025, defeating incumbent Ann B. Taylor. He had previously been mayor from 2017–2021.<ref name=Cunningham/>

{{Election box begin no change|title=2021 Waukegan Mayoral Election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Independent (US)|candidate=Ann B. Taylor|votes=3,643|percentage=55.72}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Sam Cunningham|votes=2,895|percentage=44.28}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=6,538|percentage=100.00}}

{{Election box end}}Since at least 1996, no mayor has been elected for more than a single term.<ref name="Sadin">{{Cite web|last=Sadin|first=Steve|title=Ann Taylor declares victory in bid to become Waukegan's first female mayor in one of 345 election races in Lake County|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/ct-lns-lake-county-election-results-st-0407-20210407-sslhgqvxsjgrtih6kcxyiaezxm-story.html|access-date=April 11, 2021|website=chicagotribune.com|date=April 7, 2021 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Term Start
! Term End
! Notes
|-
| [[Robert Sabonjian|Robert V. Sabonjian]]
| 1957
| 1977
| Served five terms (non-consecutive with interruption); returned for a sixth term later.<ref name="sabonjian">{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sabonjian |title=Robert Sabonjian |publisher=Wikipedia |access-date=April 4, 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Bill Morris (Illinois politician)|Bill Morris]]
| 1977
| 1985
| Defeated Sabonjian in 1977; served two terms.<ref name="sabonjian" />
|-
| Robert V. Sabonjian
| 1985
| 1989
| Returned for a sixth term after Morris's tenure.<ref name="sabonjian" />
|-
| Haig Paravonian
| 1989
| 1993
| Succeeded Sabonjian upon his retirement.<ref name="sabonjian" />
|-
| [[William F. Durkin]]
| 1993
| 2001
| Served two terms; last mayor to be reelected until 2025.<ref name="chicagotribune">{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/03/17/former-mayor-william-f-durkin-remembered-for-deeply-inspired-vision-of-what-waukegan-could-be/ |title=Former Mayor William F. Durkin remembered for 'deeply inspired vision of what Waukegan could be' |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=March 17, 2025 |access-date=April 4, 2025}}</ref>
|-
| Robert Sabonjian Jr.
| 2009
| 2013
| Son of Robert V. Sabonjian; served one term.<ref name="sabonjian" />
|-
| [[Sam Cunningham (mayor)|Sam Cunningham]]
| 2017
| 2021
| First African-American mayor of Waukegan; served his first, non-consecutive term.<ref name="cunningham">{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Cunningham_(mayor) |title=Sam Cunningham (mayor) |publisher=Wikipedia |access-date=April 4, 2025}}</ref>
|-
| Ann B. Taylor
| 2021
| 2025
| First female mayor. 
|-
|Sam Cunningham
|2025
|Incumbent
|Re-elected for his second, non-consecutive term during the April 1st election.<ref name=Cunningham>{{Cite news |date=2025-04-01 |title=Former Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham defeats incumbent Ann Taylor |url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/former-waukegan-mayor-sam-cunningham-defeats-incumbent-ann-taylor/3711609/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |work=NBC Chicago |language=en-US}}</ref>
|}

====Notes====
* Early mayors (1849–1909) served one-year terms, but comprehensive records are unavailable here.<ref name="pastmayors">{{cite web |url=https://www.waukeganil.gov/157/Past-Mayors-of-Waukegan |title=Past Mayors of Waukegan |website=City of Waukegan |access-date=April 4, 2025}}</ref>
* Since at least 1996, no mayor had been reelected for a second term until potentially Taylor in 2025, pending election results.<ref name="chicagotribune2024">{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/09/waukegan-mayor-ann-taylor-announces-reelection-bid-will-face-at-least-3-challengers/ |title=Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor announces reelection bid; will face at least 3 challengers |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=April 9, 2024 |access-date=April 4, 2025}}</ref>
* Gaps exist due to incomplete historical data; additional mayors served between 1849 and 1957 and between 2001 and 2009, but are not listed here without specific confirmation.