Kerry Thomas wins 3-way Bloomington Mayoral Primary
Proving that money matters, Indiana University employee Kerry Thomas wins the Bloomington Mayoral Primary by 800 votes over long-time City Council Member Susan Sandberg, and 1520 votes over Real Estate Agent Donald Griffin Jr. Thomas outspent Sandberg by approximately. 5 :1 throughout the campaign cycle. We now understand it will take a quarter of a million dollars if you’d like to become Mayor of Bloomington.
Thomas has been criticized for accepting huge contributions from large corporate donors, and tens of thousands from outside the state of Indiana, but it did not impact the 3,444 individuals that chose her to become our next Mayor. Of course, a Republican, Libertarian, or Independent could always find their way onto the General Election ballot in November, but that would be an amazingly uphill battle considering the political climate in Bloomington, coupled with the reality that Indiana still has Party Line Levers (or boxes in Monroe County) as a voting option.
Bloomington Democrat Party City Council Primary Election Results:
District 1:
- Isabel Piedmont-Smith: 708
- Joe Lee: 309
District 2
- Kate Rosenbarger: 679
- Sue Sgambelluri: 640
District 3
- Hopi Stosberg: 284
- Ron Smith: 277
- Conner Wright: 158
District 4
- Dave Rollo: 1471
- (unopposed)
District 5
- Shruti Rana: 1291
- Jenny Stevens: 930
District 6
- David Wolfe Bender*: 69
- (unopposed)
At-Large (top three move to General Election)
- Isak Asare: 4194
- Andy Ruff: 3961
- Matt Flaherty: 3726
- Lois Sabo-Skelton: 2852
- Jonas Schrodt: 2673
- Steve Volan: 2560
- Ryne Shadday: 1095
Also, on the ballot for City Clerk, running unopposed, was Incumbent Nicole Boldin, earning 6,543 votes.
*Currently under investigation for alleged violations of election code
IU to celebrate commencement on all campuses beginning May 5
From May 5 to 13, Indiana University will celebrate the accomplishments of nearly 22,000 graduates in nine commencement ceremonies across the state. Each campus will feature a student speaker during its commencement ceremony. These nine accomplished soon-to-be alumni were selected to represent their graduating class and will address their fellow graduates and guests during their campus’s event.
- In Bloomington, Gayatri Thiru will speak at the undergraduate ceremony, and Muna Adem will address the graduate ceremony
- In Indianapolis, Myra Kivett will serve as the undergraduate speaker, while Mikki Jaramillo will address the graduate ceremony.
Two honorary degrees will be awarded during commencement, one during the Bloomington ceremony and one during the IU Northwest ceremony.
- James T. Morris will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the undergraduate ceremony at IU Bloomington on May 6. Morris is a native Hoosier and IU alumnus with a long and distinguished history of service to the university and the state of Indiana. Twice serving on the IU Board of Trustees, Morris is vice chairman of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, which owns both the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever.
- Justice Robert D. Rucker will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws at the IU Northwest commencement ceremony on May 11. Rucker was the 105th justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, appointed by Indiana Gov. Frank O’Bannon in 1999. He served in that position until he retired in 2017. Rucker served with the First Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War and was awarded both the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart before returning to IU Northwest to complete his undergraduate degree. He was the first African American appellate judge in Indiana and served as the vice chair of the Indiana Commission for Continuing Legal Education.
This Week in Hoosier History
1889 – Beulah Bondi was born in Valparaiso on May 3rd. Beulah was involved in local theater and attended Valparaiso University. She was an actress for many years. Beulah played the role of James Stewart’s mother in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Follow us on Facebook
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson