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26 Candidates Apply For At-Large Council Vacancy

Robert Lawon
/
Wikimedia Commons

As with previous vacancies on the Peoria City Council, there's a long list of potential candidates to fill the remaining two years of Mayor Rita Ali's at-large seat — 26, to be exact.

Many of those candidates are familiar names to those who cast a ballot in the 2021 municipal elections. They include former 1st District councilmember Denise Moore, who lost her seat to Denise Jackson. Former Peoria Township Supervisor Frank Abdnour, who lost his seat to LaTrina Leary in February's Democratic primary, has also applied.

City clerk candidate Shawn Allen, 2nd District candidates James Kemper and Peter Kobak, mayoral candidate Andres Diaz, 5th District candidate Ryan Hite, 1st District candidate Aaron Chess, and 3rd District candidate Gale Thetford are also among the applicants.

Ali has said she believes the person who succeeds her in the at-large seat should share a similar governing philosophy to her. She was the top vote-getter by far in the 2019 at-large race, after losing to Denis Cyr by just one vote in the 2017 5th District council race.

The Peoria City Council is slated to discuss the candidates in closed session on June 1. A confirmation vote is expected on June 22. The deadline to fill the seat is July 3.

The full list of applicants:

  1. Abdnour, Frank
  2. Adler, Dan
  3. Allen, Shawn
  4. Armstrong, Kim
  5. Boone, Demario
  6. Burdick, Norm
  7. Butler, Linda
  8. Chess, Aaron
  9. Diaz, Andres
  10. Galvan, Allison
  11. Godhigh, Mae Catherine
  12. Gulley, Clyde
  13. Harris, Alicia
  14. Henry, Donny
  15. Hite, Ryan
  16. Hough, James
  17. Kemper, James
  18. Kobak, Peter
  19. Moore, Denise
  20. Ross, Martha
  21. Sierra, Alex
  22. Stinnett, Conrad
  23. Thetford, Gale
  24. Thomas, Cheryl
  25. Trilikis, Alberta
  26. Velpula, Kiran

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Tim is the News Director at WCBU Peoria Public Radio.