By JAMES MITCHELL
Sunday Times Newspapers
LINCOLN PARK – Voters in the city will cast ballots Tuesday that will determine the field of candidates for mayor and City Council.
The primary election ballot includes three mayoral hopefuls and 13 prospective council members; two of those seeking the mayor’s seat will advance to the Nov. 8 general election along with 12 council candidates.
Incumbent Mayor Frank Vaslo is seeking re-election against challengers Chris Dardzinski and Patricia Diaz Krause. The top two vote-getters will move on to autumn polls. All six council seats are up for renewal in November, and 13 candidates hope to be among the dozen names on the nonpartisan general election ballot. Incumbents Mario DiSanto,
Joseph Kaiser Jr., Mark Kandes, Donald Majors, Suzanne Moreno and Thomas Murphy are running, along with newcomers Elizabeth A. Wright, Tracy Bush, Paula Hall, Deborah Henderson, Larry Kelsey, Rosolino LoDuca and Thomas Parkinson.
Absent a state, national or millage question on the ballot, candidate-only primaries typically draw limited interest from voters. On July 13, most of the candidates participated in a public forum hosted by the Friends of the Lincoln Park Library, where each agreed that the city faces economic and development struggles.
The primary ballot also includes two city clerk candidates — incumbent Donna Breeding and challenger Richard Kudrak — who will square off in November for the position. Treasurer Patricia Lulko is running unopposed.
(James Mitchell can be reached at [email protected])