Dan Brady is set to return to public life after a 22-year run as a state lawmaker.
Brady became the first mayoral candidate in Bloomington since 1997 [Judy Markowitz] to defeat an incumbent mayor on Tuesday.
According to unofficial results on Tuesday, Brady [48%] won decisively over city council member Cody Hendricks [33%] and Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe [19%] in a race which saw unusually high turnout for a municipal election [31% in Bloomington].
“The victory belongs to all of us here tonight,” Brady told a large gathering of supporters in the dining room at Jim’s Steakhouse. “And now the real works starts because it begins governing. Let’s build a safer, strong and more vibrant Bloomington together.”
Brady, the former longtime state legislator and current funeral home operator, ran on a campaign of improving public safety, addressing the city’s water problems and providing leadership he’s honed through his decades of experience in government.
“We have to work at getting the guns and the drugs off the streets,” Brady said.
Brady said he hopes to bring his experience in a partisan legislature to alleviate any partisan divisions that may exist on the city council with “communication, energy,” and “showing them that I’m a good listener.”
About 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, Mwilambwe quietly stood from his seat at a table in Bonchon restaurant, where he’d been chatting with campaign supporters.
Then he launched into a very brief, informal concession speech.
“I’m incredibly happy, proud, of the progress we’ve made in the past four years. But at some point, when the voters say, ‘Well, we want something different,’ then they get the something different that they want.”
The one-term incumbent was the first Black mayor of McLean County’s largest city, elected in 2021 after serving a decade on the Bloomington City Council.
“I’m really proud of how we ran the campaign. No mudslinging, nothing negative,” Mwilambwe said, to applause.
“I think there is something for people to learn about that. Even though the outcome was not what we wanted,” he said.
Mwilambwe told WGLT later that he’s not sure what his future plans are, or if those include politics. “After a race you need to take some time to reflect and think about things,” he said, adding, “But one of the things that I always say is, when God closes a door, you know, he opens another one.”
Hendricks, who remains a Ward 6 council member [downtown and some nearby communities], congratulated his supporters for pushing on the issues, and suggested Brady’s name recognition played a “major role.”
“Dan Brady entered politics before I was even born. So me as a 32-year-old taking on Dan Brady was a major challenge,” Hendricks said.
Hendricks added that name recognition didn’t equal a commitment to the issues the community cares about, and added Brady did not receive a majority of the total vote.
In a speech to his supporters at the Castle Theatre, Hendricks addressed that commitment head on.
“To Dan Brady, I congratulate you, but I also remind you that public service is a responsibility, not a privilege — not one that you just show up every now and then to shake some hands.”
@wgltnews Bloomington mayor-elect Dan Brady and re-elected Normal Mayor Chris Koos talk to their supporters after their wins Tuesday. You can find full recaps and the latest results at WGLT.org. #localelections #mayor ♬ original sound - WGLT - Bloomington-Normal NPR
