Voters will have more choices on the ballot in 2018 when they vote for McLean County Board. Nine of 10 races will be contested.
Monday’s candidate-filing deadline for the March 20 primary included some new names that voters may not know yet. Here’s a quick introduction to a few of the candidates for McLean County Board.
District 1 – northeast McLean County
There will be a contested GOP primary in March between Jeremiah Houston of Carlock and Gerald Thompson from Colfax. The seat is currently held by Don Cavallini, who is not seeking re-election.
Houston is the mayor of Carlock and a bus driver for Unit 5. Houston said he wants to provide more transparency and move the board’s meeting times to make them easier to attend. Houston said he’s worked with state and federal government in Carlock.
“I have worked hard to make sure Carlock residents have better safety measures for the school and bridge infrastructure. I am worried about our District for our children and grandchildren. We need to re-evaluate the budget and provide better services for our law enforcement and our rural agricultural I want to ensure that it is,” he said.
Thompson, a farmer, announced his candidacy in September.
District 4 – northwest Normal
Democrat Logan Smith has filed to challenge Republican incumbent Mark Johnson.
Smith is a recent high school graduate and now attends Heartland Community College. Smith works at Afni.
“The reason I chose to run for McLean County Board was the fact that the younger generation is entirely underrepresented across all levels of government. I want to help the community grow past the obstacles that have hit us in recent years and make sure that everyone has a fair and equal voice in government,” Smith said.
Smith would face Johnson and Libertarian candidate Alexandra Engle in November.
District 7 – near-east Bloomington
Democrat Sharon Chung has filed to challenge incumbent Republican Ryan Scritchlow.
Chung is a professional musician and teacher who’s lived in McLean County since 2009. She graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University.
Chung said she is committed to making county government work for all its residents through increased transparency and accessibility.
“An engaged citizenry is a powerful citizenry, and I believe in the power of people's voices to effect change,” Chung said.
Scritchlow, a business owner, was appointed to the District 7 seat in September. He replaced Rich Buchanan, who resigned the seat for health reasons. Bennett Morris, a Libertarian who works at State Farm, is also running in District 7.
District 8 – West Bloomington
Incumbent Democrat Paul Segobiano will face a primary challenge from Shayna Watchinski.
Watchinski, a healthcare professional, has lived on Bloomington’s west side for 17 years. She’s a well-known community volunteer and organizer.
Watchinski said her top campaign priorities are to make county government more open and accessible to residents, to put more focus on expanding community-based mental health care services, and to fight to grow good-paying jobs.
“The McLean County Board needs fresh blood and new ideas, and I believe it is time for a new generation of leadership,” said Watchinski.
Libertarian Steve Suess announced his candidacy for District 8 in September.
The general election is Nov. 6.
Editor's note: This story's photo caption has been updated to reflect Sharon Chung's party affiliation. She is a Democrat.
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