Updated results posted by the Peoria County Election Commission on Thursday afternoon have flipped and tightened Peoria’s mayoral race.
At-large city council member Rita Ali now holds a 23-vote advantage over District 4 representative Jim Montelongo, with 16,496 ballots counted. On Election Night, Montelongo led by 73 votes out of the 16,002 tabulated. The new results came from recently received vote-by-mail ballots.
Ballots postmarked by April 6 – Election Day – are valid. Election Commission executive director Tom Bride said counting will continue on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of next week, with a final count on April 20 and the results finalized the following day.
Either Ali or Montelongo will make history in replacing four-term mayor Jim Ardis. Ali would be the first Black woman to hold the office, while Montelongo would be the first Latinx mayor.
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