Town of Normal and Uptown Normal leaders are partnering with the NAACP for this year’s Santa’s Station festivities.

McLean County

Nearly a third of County Board seats up for election

Three of the 10 seats up for grabs on the McLean County Board next year are heading to a March primary, based on candidate filings by the state’s Monday, Dec. 4 deadline.

In the District 1 position, Carlock Mayor Jeremiah Houston is running against Gerald Thompson, of Colfax, on the GOP ticket. Incumbent Don Cavallini is not seeking re-election.

In District 2, incumbent Republican Jim Soeldner, of Ellsworth, is facing off against GOP challenger J Snyder. The winner will run against Democrat David Siebert and Libertarian Paul Michael Enerson in November.

District 8, which encompasses portions of Bloomington, has Democrat opposition. Incumbent Paul Segobiano will square off against Shayna Watchinski on the party ticket in March. The winner will face Libertarian Steve Suess in November.

Six of the other 10 races are contested as well, but will be going straight to the November general election. Those races include:

• District 3 — Incumbent Randy Martin (Republican) and Christopher Howick (Libertarian)          
• District 4 — Alexandra Engle (Libertarian), incumbent Mark Johnson (Republican) and Logan Smith (Democrat)
• District 5 — Elizabeth Johnston (Democrat) and incumbent David Selzer (Republican)           
• District 7 — Sharon Chung (Democrat), Bennett Morris (Libertarian) and incumbent Ryan Scritchlow (Republican)           
• District 9 — Richard Bennett (Libertarian), Jeremy Bradley (Republican) and David Parker (Democrat)           
• District 10 — Incumbent Chuck Erickson (Republican) and Kevin Woodard (Libertarian)

The board’s District 6 seat is currently uncontested. Laurie Wollrab, a Democrat incumbent, is seeking re-election.

General Assembly seats heading to March primary

A number of General Assembly seats that include representation in McLean County will be included in the upcoming March primary election. In the state’s 105th House District, which includes areas of Bloomington and Normal, incumbent Rep. Dan Brady of Bloomington is facing off against GOP challenger Paul Blumenshine of Normal this spring. The winner will face Democrat candidate Ben Webb of Normal in November.

Elsewhere in the county, three GOP candidates are throwing their hats into the ring for the 101st House District: Dan Caulkins, Todd Henricks and Randy Keith. The winner will face Democrat Jennifer McMillin in November.

The 88th House District, which includes portions of Bloomington and other nearby communities, is contested, but will be on the November ballot. Incumbent Rep. Keith Sommer, a Republican, is running against Democrat Jill Blair.

The three state senators representing McLean County are seeking re-election and running unopposed: Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington, 53rd District), Bill Brady (R-Bloomington, 44th District) and Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet, 51st District).  

Two Congressional races will be on March ballot

Five Democrats are hoping to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, in the 13th Congressional District. The list of party candidates in the March primary includes Betsy Dirksen Londrigan of Springfield, Jonathan Ebel of Urbana, David Gill of Bloomington, Erik Jones of Edwardsville and Angel Sides of Springfield.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face off against Davis in November.

In the 18th Congressional District, incumbent Darin LaHood of Peoria will face off against GOP challenger Donald Ray Rients of Benson. Three Democrats also are throwing their hats into the ring for the seat: Brian Deters of Morton, Darrel Miller of Danvers and Junius Rodriguez of Eureka.

The winner of the Democrat and Republican primaries will face off against one another in November.   

Bloomington

City Council changing venue for its next meeting

The Bloomington City Council will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Dec. 18, at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, 600 N. East St. Elected officials are expected to discuss a proposed “welcoming city” ordinance, pertaining to local policies on immigration.

A large crowd filled the council chambers at city hall when the issue was last discussed in late November. The council is slated to hold a work session and regular meeting. The ordinance discussion is slated to take place during the work session. At press deadline, city officials did not have the time set for the work session, but updated information will be posted on the city’s website, www.cityblm.org.   

City accepting applications for spring Bloomington 101 session

City residents interested in taking part in the next Bloomington 101 orientation program, slated for spring, can begin submitting applications. Bloomington 101 is aimed at giving community members an overview of local government.

The program covers a range of topics, including operations within such departments as police, fire, finance and parks and recreation. The spring session will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, March 22 to May 24. To obtain an application, visit the city’s website at www.cityblm.org. Paper copies also are available at city hall.

Normal

Normal organizations partner with NAACP at Santa’s Station

Town of Normal officials, in conjunction with Uptown Normal leaders, have announced a partnership with the NAACP for this year’s Santa’s Station festivities. The effort is aimed at offering a diverse and inclusive environment at the holiday event, which runs throughout the month. For dates and times for Santa’s Station, visit www.uptownnormal.com.  

–McLean County News Briefs–