2019 Bloomington General | District 3 Council Candidate: Marty Spechler
Marty Spechler collected at least 89 signatures to qualify as an independent candidate to represent District 3 on the Bloomington city council. He faces Democratic Party nominee Ron Smith and independent Nick Kappas in the Nov. 5 general election. The incumbent Democrat, Allison Chopra, is not seeking re-election.
District 3 covers portions of Bloomington’s northeast and east sides. (Click here for a map of city districts.)
Spechler is professor emeritus of economics at Indiana University.
He previously was elected to the Bloomington council in 2011 and served from 2012 through 2015. In 2015 he entered the Democratic Party primary, seeking re-election—that race was won by Allison Chopra. Before that, he contested the Democratic Party primary in 2007, a race won by incumbent Mike Satterfield.
In 2016 he was a candidate for the District 6 seat on the Monroe County Consolidated School Corporation board, a race won by Lois Sabo-Skelton. In 2018 he was elected as a Democrat to the Bloomington Township Board.
For the 2019 city council campaign, Spechler says he favors expanding free parking downtown. He also encourages renovating older structures with rent subsidies as a way to make housing affordable. He says Bloomington should address climate change by using more solar panels and requiring environmentally responsible new construction.
Spechler is married to Dina Rome Spechler, who is a professor of political science at Indiana University.
Links to Additional Information
Campaign website: in progress
Email: mspechler@gmail.com
Facebook: in progress
Twitter: NA
Campaign finance reports (2019 election cycle):
- Statement of organization
- Declaration of candidacy
- Statement of economic interests
- Pre-Election Report of Receipts and Expenditures (due on Oct. 18, 2019)
In the News: Marty Spechler
Bloomington city council candidate forum: Indiana University connections – B Square Beacon, Nov. 3, 2019
Inside baseball: Guenther swings away with farmers market “winning issue” accusation in District 2 city council race – B Square Beacon, Oct. 29, 2019
Bloomington city council campaign filings: Party support means Republican candidate enjoys 20-to-1 funding advantage over Democrat – B Square Beacon, Oct. 19, 2019
Key topics for District 3 city council race forum: convention center, transportation– B Square Beacon, Oct. 17, 2019
Democratic Party mulls how to say: Bloomington’s District 3 city council race features exactly one Democrat – B Square Beacon, Aug. 27, 2019
Spechler’s council run is city’s first independent candidacy – Bloomington Herald-Times, June 17, 2019