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Ali’s Lead in Peoria Mayoral Race Ticks Higher

Jim Montelongo (L) and Rita Ali (R)
Supplied photos
Jim Montelongo (L) and Rita Ali (R)

Rita Ali's lead in the race for mayor of Peoria is a couple votes wider in the latest results from the Peoria County Election Commission.

Ali's margin over Jim Montelongo increased from 39 to 41 as she earned both votes added Friday in the latest tabulation of vote-by-mail ballots. The final count is set for Monday, with election certification scheduled for Tuesday.

The tight contest has Ali with 8,238 votes (50.1%) to 8,197 for Montelongo (49.9%). Montelongo got 54.4% of the more than 10,300 votes cast on Election Day, while Ali fared significantly better in early voting along with the vote-by-mail results.

Montelongo held a lead of 73 votes after counting finished on Election Night. But Ali moved ahead in the first update as mail-in ballots postmarked on or before April 6 were processed, and has pulled further in front with each subsequent update. 

Earlier this week, Montelongo sent a letter to the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office questioning the election commission's mail-in ballot procedures. The commission's executive director, Tom Bride, defended his office’s handling of the count.

Ali is an at-large Peoria City Council member, while Montelongo chose not to seek a third term as the District 4 representative. The winner will follow Jim Ardis as the city’s first new mayor in 16 years.

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Joe Deacon is a reporter at WCBU.