When residents living in the 6th aldermanic district head to the polls in April, they’ll see two familiar names on the ballot. Incumbent Sandy Weidner and Jen Adamski-Torres have both announced that they are running for the seat, creating a re-match from the Spring 2016 election.
Weidner told The Journal Times on the night she lost the mayoral race to Cory Mason that she wasn’t going to run again for city council but changed her mind as of Dec. 8. Weidner has been on the Common Council since 2000.
“I made up my mind that I was either going to step up or step away, because you can only beat your head on the wall for so long,” she told the newspaper the night of the election.
Earlier this month, though, she told reporter Sari Lesk that she can’t imagine not being the representative and an “independent voice” for residents of the 6th District.
“Having done this as long as I have, it becomes a part of who you are,” she is quoted as saying. “It was just very difficult to see myself not serving the people of the 6th District.”
Adamski-Torres announced Friday that she is also running again and plans to take on Weidner directly, challenging the incumbent’s stance as an independent.
“Sandy Weidner said she would not run for re-election because she was tired of beating her ‘head on the wall,'” Adamski-Torres said in a press release to media. “After 17 years on the City Council without having taken real action on any of the issues district residents truly care about, Weidner only has herself to blame for that wall.”
In her announcement, Adamski-Torres highlights hot button issues like economic development, the Riverside Inn situation and the arguments about street lights to point out where she believes Weidner has failed district residents in particular and city residents as a whole.
All even numbered seats are up for re-election in April. So far, only a handful of races are shaping up to be competitive:
4th District: Tracey Larrin (I) and Dennis Montey
6th District: Sandy Weidner (I) and Jen Adamski-Torres
8th District: Q.A. Shakoor II (I), Brandon Campbell, Malcolm Platt
10th District: Dennis Wiser (I), Carrie Glenn, Kevin Rydzik
Mollie Jones in the 2nd and Henry Perez in the 12th have also filed papers to run but are so far unopposed. It is unclear if anyone is running for the 14th District which includes Regency Mall and a small area west of Highway 31 south of J.I. Case High School. Jason Meekma is the current representative for the 14th District.
Candidates have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to turn in the required nomination papers to have their names put on the ballot.