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:
- Abdnour, Frank
- Adler, Dan
- Allen, Shawn
- Armstrong, Kim
- Boone, Demario
- Burdick, Norm
- Butler, Linda
- Chess, Aaron
- Diaz, Andres
- Galvan, Allison
- Godhigh, Mae Catherine
- Gulley, Clyde
- Harris, Alicia
- Henry, Donny
- Hite, Ryan
- Hough, James
- Kemper, James
- Kobak, Peter
- Moore, Denise
- Ross, Martha
- Sierra, Alex
- Stinnett, Conrad
- Thetford, Gale
- Thomas, Cheryl
- Trilikis, Alberta
- Velpula, Kiran
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