Originally published on April 6, 2021 2:04 pm
The day has finally arrived. Peorians are about to select the city s next mayor.
At-Large Councilwoman Rita Ali and 4th District Councilman Jim Montelongo were the two candidates who made it through the February primary. Incumbent Mayor Jim Ardis opted not to run for a fifth consecutive term.
Ali is the vice president of workforce and diversity at Illinois Central College. She was elected to an at-large seat in 2019 after narrowly losing the 2017 race for the 5th District seat to Denis Cyr.
Montelongo is a three-term councilman and CEO of Advanced CAD/CAM Service Corporation, an engineering firm.
Peoria mayoral election: Rita Ali, Jim Montelongo advance to general election
pjstar.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pjstar.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Election Day: Who s on the ballot and what to expect in Peoria s consolidated primary
hoiabc.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hoiabc.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Tim Shelley / Peoria Public Radio
Early voting for next month’s consolidated primary elections began Thursday, and Peoria County Election Commission Executive Director Tom Bride believes turnout may be higher than usual this year.
With five candidates on the ballot to replace Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis and four City Council district races with more than two candidates, Bride thinks the crowded fields may generate greater voter interest.
“It’s been a while since we ve had a really heavily contested mayoral race and this many heavily contested city council races. We typically haven t had a big turnout in these primaries, but I think we ll be higher because of that,” said Bride, noting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could counteract any increased interest and potentially suppress voting.