Tamir Bell

Among the new faces on the Rockford City Council in April will be a Winnebago County Board member, a 21-year old precinct committeeman and activist who was in high school three years ago, and a former education official who ousted a veteran alderman with a troubled history.

Tamir Bell, who entered local politics two years ago when he was elected 13th ward’s Precinct 2 committeeman, dominated his three primary opponents in Ward 13 with 63.1 percent of the vote. Bell’s vote total more than tripled that of his closest rival, incumbent Ald. Jeffrey Bailey, who was appointed to fill the remainder of Ald. Linda McNeely’s term when she died in 2023.

Bell has said he has “the energy and the tenacity” to get things done on the council and move the 13th Ward forward. “We cannot miss any more when it comes to affordable housing, food access, neighborhood revitalization, bringing our community together,” he said.

Bell, who was campaign manager for Rockford area state Rep. Maurice West, D-67th, and is West’s political director, looked just a bit as though he didn’t quite believe it all Tuesday as he stood for a television interview. He said he felt “honored, grateful, blessed” to be chosen by voters to serve on the City Council.

“I am feeling grateful for the people – the voters of the 13th Ward,” said Bell, who will be the youngest elected official in Rockford history.

Voters in the 11th Ward also opted to pick the challenger in another race featuring an incumbent who’d been appointed to fill a vacancy. Jaime J. Salgado defeated an appointed incumbent, Isidro Barrios 150-109. Barrios was appointed to office in 2023 to replace Tuffy Quinonez after her death.

Salgado is a Winnebago County Board member. After eight years on the County Board, he says he believes he can better serve his community as alderman.

“I really want to transition over into solving some of the issues within the neighborhoods, primarily on the Broadway corridor, and the Midtown District, Salgado said. With no Republican in the April 1 consolidated election ballot , Salgado will be the next alderman.

In the Ninth Ward, incumbent Ald. William Rose was denied a third term by challenger Dawn Granath, a former Rockford Education Association president. Granath received 370 votes, nearly doubling Rose’s total of 198.

Rose’s reputation took a hit in 2021 when he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and was sentenced to two years’ court supervision and a $1,861 fine. Other charges including carrying a concealed firearm while under the influence, criminal damage to property, criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct were all dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

In other aldermanic primary races, Fifth Ward Ald. Gabrielle Torina easily outdistanced her two primary opponents, Christopher Williams and Virgil Hobson, winning a near plurality at 49.36 percent. With 5.8 percent voter turnout, the actual margin was just 68 votes, 230 votes for Torina to 162 for Hobson and 72 for Williams.

Incumbent Sixth Ward Alderwoman April Prunty will return to the Council for a second term, after challenger Lawrence Steward II withdrew his candidacy the day before the primary. Steward, 41, a postal worker, had faced questions over the legality of his candidacy due to the 1939 federal Hatch Act, which makes it illegal for federal workers to participate in partisan elections.

In the 12th Ward, incumbent Gina Meeks held off challenger Carrie Crosby, taking 58.17 percent to win by a 132-vote margin.

In the 14th Ward, Alderman Mark Bonne, a former columnist for the Rockford Register Star, won nearly 81 percent of the vote over challenger Ali Abuihmoud, 28, a software engineer.

The only question left regarding the new City Council makeup is who will be the Eighth Ward alderman. Two-term incumbent Karen Hoffman, a Democrat who ran unopposed in 2021, will face independent Jason C. Leviskas, 41, in the April 1 consolidated election.

In the five-candidate Democratic primary race for Rockford Township trustee eliminating one candidate, Tammy Goral led all candidates with 22.40 percent, followed closely by Simon McNamara, just 92 votes behind, and Kylee Miller (21.6 percent). L.C. Wilson took the fourth ballot spot, with 17.4 percent of the vote. Mustafa Abdall was eliminated in the primary, getting just 16.3 percent of the vote.

The four advancing Democrats will be on the April 1 consolidated election ballot along with Republican township trustee candidates Ginger Haas, Frank Manzullo, Michael E. O’Toole and Eli Nocolosi.