December 8th, 2008
Monday’s filings for the Feb. 24 GOP and Democratic primaries have brought us two candidates for Rockford mayor: John Harmon, a Republican, and Gerald Albert, a Democrat.
Who? Exactly. Which is why independent Mayor Larry Morrissey remains the odds-on favorite to win a second term. However, there’s still time for more people to file to run, either as Republicans or Democrats, or, in January, as independents.
Harmon was a one term Winnebago County Board member who was defeated for re-election in the Republican primary. He is also one of the Group of 16 precinct committeemen who junked the traditional Rockford Township GOP primary and replaced it with a costly caucus on Jan. 13. The move is unpopular among many local Republicans.
Albert is employed by county Circuit Clerk Tom Klein, a Republican. He’s running as a Democrat.
Neither of these men can count on the backing of their party organizations. John Nelson, Democratic state central committeeman in the 16th Congressional District, has told me he intends to put his name on the mayoral ballot.
Morrissey is an independent, albeit one with two, conservative Republicans, Jim Thacker and Ryan Brauns as his key advisers.
December 8th, 2008
Among the more interesting people running for alderman in the February 2009 primaries are veteran schools activist Venita Hervey, a Democrat who is running for the 5th ward seat being vacated by Victory Bell, and Mark Bonne, a Republican who is running for the 14th ward seat held by Dan Conness.
Conness, a Democrat, filed petitions to run for Rockford Township highway commissioner. However, he has also circulated petitions to run again for alderman. Conness hasn’t decided which job to run for, but he told me he would only run for one position.
Hervey, 53, is a lawyer. She said wouldn’t have challenged Bell had he chose to run for re-election. Bell, 74, is the city’s first black elected official; he’s held his post for 37 years.
“I’ve lived here in the 5th ward for a long time, I’ve put my stakes down here. I’m familiar with the area and the challenges, Morgan Street Bridge, South Main Street, and I want to see the area become viable again,” Hervey told me. “I wouldn’t have run if Vic were still running, but he’s retiring and I think I would be pretty good at the job.”
Hervey was a lawyer for People Who Care during the discrimination/desegregation lawsuit against the Rockford Public Schools.
Bonne, 46, is a former colleague of mine here at the Register Star, is the community development coordinator for the Rockford Public Schools.
“The biggest single reason I’m running is because I’m tired of hearing young people say they can’t wait to leave Rockford once they’ve graduated from high school. I want to do what I can to make Rockford a place young people want to return to after college, and I think being on the City Council would be a way to do that,” Bonne told me.
