PEORIA, Ill. — Peoria voters now know who their choices for mayor will be on Apr. 6 when they head to the polls.
At-Large Council Member Rita Ali will square off with District Four Council Member Jim Montelongo to become the 59th mayor in city history.
“We won round one,” said Ali, who earned 38.83% of Tuesday night’s primary vote, good for first place among the five candidates.
“We’ve got to take it all the way because, what happens now is, we have to start all over. We’ve been in this race for six months.
“We have six weeks to get this vote out.”
The Montelongo campaign as of Tuesday night had not responded to requests from WMBD News for comment.
The three candidates who came up short were activist Chama St. Louis, businessman Andres Diaz, and At-Large Council Member Sid Ruckriegel.
“I’m extremely proud of the campaign we ran,” said Ruckriegel. “We ran hard, we ran strong, we kept it clean and about the topics that really matter.
“I wouldn’t do it any different. I think you’ve got to be able to run a campaign that is your character.
“Your character in office is reflective of the character you run on a campaign.”
Ruckriegel’s term expires in 2023. St. Louis said she “will keep organizing, building power that cannot be denied,” while Diaz posted on his Facebook page he “will continue to be an active part” of the Peoria community.
While Montelongo’s City Council term expires in May, Ali’s does not expire until 2023. Should she win, it would be up to council to fill her seat.
Early voting begins Thurs., Feb 25.
