Counting Down the Rest of the Way

We continue with an overview of the races:

Ward 4: Chuck DiPerri is unopposed in his bid to replace outgoing Alderman John Ragucci. John is a much beloved political figure who is stepping down after 20+ years to spend more time with his family. Chuck is a well-respected and well known member of the Common Council, having served fourteen years, and two terms as President. Chuck also served on the Board of Assessors prior to being elected to the Common Council and brings significant knowledge of the tax/assessing side of government, as well as zoning law. We wish him the best of luck in his new role in city government.

Ward 5: This is one of the most interesting races in the city, with 2-term Ward 5 Alderman Robert Van Campen being challenged by Cathi Gover, a 5-term member of the Common Council. This is considered to be a fairly even match up on an intellectual level, given that both are considered educated and articulate. The key differences between the two are philosophical. Van Campen has developed a reputation for "going up against" the Mayor, though by his own admission, he votes with the Mayor 90% of the time. Ironically, one of the few times Van Campen went against the Mayor was on the subject of the Superintendent and the overspending of the School Department -- a subject on which Gover stood firm both on the recommendation to suspend the superintendent and the maintenance director and to hold the school department accountable for overspending their budget year after year. Both candidates are known allies of opposite camps -- Van Campen with Hanlon and Gover with Ragucci, and each with the benefits and baggage that those associations bring. This is definitely a race to watch and will, we think, prove to be a very close finish.

Ward 6: This is another "is there a race going on?" campaign. Ward 6 incumbent Joseph McGonagle is being challenged by Robert Dunn who, while possessing a "political name," hasn't done any campaigning either in the ward or across the city. It would be hard at this point for Mr. Dunn to get any traction on Joe McGonagle, who is quite well-known and runs a business in the city.