The field of candidates for two contested Peoria offices narrowed after Tuesday's primary election.
Alex Carmona and Estrella Diaz will advance to the general election for the District 2 city council seat vacated by mayoral candidate Chuck Grayeb. Diaz received 783 votes, while Carmona earned 778.
Both Carmona and Diaz received around 35% of the total vote.
The third candidate for the seat, Krista Wresinski, failed to advance to the April general election. The billing specialist with Advanced Medical Transport received 648 votes, or 29.3%.
Carmona, an artist who moved to Peoria five years ago, has advocated for a hands-off approach to government, particularly when it comes to growing the economy. He says he doesn't like that the recent ordinance banning homeless encampments in the city is “basically” criminalizing the issue, but “something needs to be done.”
Diaz is a Caterpillar employee and has lived in Peoria most of her life. She calls the homeless encampment ban “cruel and uninformed.” Diaz believes economic revival, particularly in downtown, starts with addressing “root causes” of the area’s issues, like violence and the unhoused.
District 2 includes downtown, large portions of the West and Center Bluffs and a section of central Peoria including Illinois Central College and Bradley University.
All three candidates expanded on their positions in an interviews with WCBU late last year.
Montelongo, Sommerville advance in treasurer's race
The other City of Peoria race narrowed from three candidates to two by the primary is to replace former city treasurer Stephen Morris, who resigned in May 2024. The position has been filled on an interim basis since then.
Former city council member and past mayoral candidate Jim Montelongo led the primary with 6,089 votes, or more than 49% of the total number of ballots cast. Montelongo told WCBU his primary concern as treasurer would be finding an answer to the city’s growing pension obligations and a centralized accounting system.
Peoria County Clerk chief deputy Brooke Petty Sommerville also advanced with 4,555 votes, or 37%. Sommerville narrowly lost the position to Morris in 2021. Her priorities include accessibility for the office, potentially through the implementation of an app to pay fees or look up tax information.
Former Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity chief financial officer Asya Washum will not advance to the general election. Washum received 1,642 votes, or 13% of the total.
The general election is April 1.
