2019 General Election: Bloomington City
This page provides nonpartisan information about the Nov. 5, 2019 City of Bloomington general election. [For information about the candidates in the primary elections, which took place on May 7, see the Beacon’s guide to the 2019 Primary Election: Bloomington City]
The only elections that will be held are for city council positions in District 2 and District 3. Unopposed are the candidates for mayor, clerk, the three at-large city council positions, District 1, District 4, District 5 and District 6. No elections will be held for those positions—the candidates will win by default.
In addition to general information, on this page you’ll find links to profile pages for each candidate in the general election, which will be updated throughout the campaign period until the election.
To register to vote, check your registration status or find your polling location, go to the Indiana Voter Portal. Monday, Oct. 7 is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 general election.
NOTE: Early voting begins at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2019 at Election Central, 401 W. 7th St., Suite 100 in downtown Bloomington. Click here for information on absentee voting by mail or by traveling board. For sample ballots, click here.
Bloomington Mayor
The mayor of Bloomington is elected to a four-year term and serves as the city’s chief executive. The legislative branch of city government is the 9-member city council. The mayor oversees the city’s administration, including the appointment of department heads. Bloomington’s mayor is paid a salary of $107,508.
John Hamilton won the nomination of the Democratic Party over Amanda Barge by a tally of 4,065 (84.1 percent) to 766 (15.9 percent). [Full results here] No Republican candidates for mayor contested a primary and the party did not “caucus in” a candidate for the general election.
No independent or write-in candidates filed to be a candidate for mayor. No election will be held for mayor on Nov. 5, and Hamilton will win by default.
Bloomington City Clerk
The Bloomington city clerk maintains the municipal code and official records of the city council, posts public notices, certifies council minutes, processes boards and commissions openings, hears parking ticket appeals, serves as a satellite voter registration office, and performs weddings and civil ceremonies, among other duties. This is a full-time job with a salary of $57,707. The clerk serves a four-year term.
The current clerk, Nicole Bolden, was only candidate on the May 7 ballot for the Democratic primary. [Full results here] No Republicans appeared on the primary ballot and the party did not “caucus in” a candidate for the general election.
No independent or write-in candidates filed to be a candidate for clerk. No election will be held for clerk on Nov. 5, and Bolden will win by default.
Bloomington Common Council: Overview
The 9-member Bloomington Common Council is the legislative branch of city government. A seat on the council is compensated with a salary of $16,127. Starting in 2019, the president and vice president of the council—who are elected by their colleagues at the first meeting of the year—receive an extra $1,000 and $800, respectively.
Each of the city’s six districts is represented by one councilmember. Three at-large seats represent residents citywide.
Bloomington Common Council: District 1
District 1 covers portions of Bloomington’s west and south sides. (Click here for a map of city districts.)
Kate Rosenbarger won the May 7 Democratic Party primary for District 1 with 619 votes (65.92 percent), compared to 264 votes (28.12 percent) for incumbent Chris Sturbaum and 56 votes (5.96 percent) for Denise Valkyrie. [Full results here] No Republicans appeared on the primary ballot, and the party did not “caucus in” a candidate for the general election.
No independent or write-in candidates filed to be a candidate for city council’s District 1 seat. No election will be held for District 1 on Nov. 5, and Rosenbarger will win by default.
Bloomington Common Council: District 2
District 2 covers portions of Bloomington’s north and northwest sides. (Click here for a map of city districts.) Democrat Sue Sgambelluri faces Republican Andrew Guenther in the Nov. 5 general election.
Sgambelluri won the May 7 Democratic Party primary for District 2 with 157 votes (42.09 percent), compared to 142 votes (38.07 percent) for incumbent Dorothy Granger and 74 votes (19.84 percent) for Daniel Bingham. In the District 2 Republican Party primary, Guenther was unopposed and won with 34 votes. [Full results here]
Bloomington Common Council: District 3
District 3 covers portions of Bloomington’s northeast and east sides. (Click here for a map of city districts.)
The incumbent Democrat, Allison Chopra, did not seek re-election. Ron Smith won the May 7 Democratic Party primary for District 3 with 522 votes (73.73 percent), compared to 186 votes (26.27 percent) for Jim Blickensdorf. [Full results here]
Independents Marty Spechler and Nick Kappas collected enough signatures to appear on the Nov. 5 ballot without a party affiliation.
Bloomington Common Council: District 4
District 4 covers parts of east and southeast Bloomington. (Click here for a map of city districts.)
Incumbent Dave Rollo won the May 7 Democratic Party primary for District 4 with 1,079 votes (65.20 percent), compared to 576 votes (34.80 percent) for Miah Michaelsen. [Full results here] No Republican appeared on the primary ballot and the party did not “caucus in” a candidate for the general election.
No independent or write-in candidates filed to be a candidate for city council’s District 4 seat. No election for District 4 will be held on Nov. 5, and Rollo will win by default.
Bloomington Common Council: District 5
District 5 covers portions of south and southeast Bloomington. (Click here for a map of city districts.)
Incumbent Isabel Piedmont-Smith won the May 7 Democratic Party primary for District 5 with 1,027 votes (81.38 percent), compared to 235 votes (18.62 percent) for Ryan Maloney. [Full results here] No Republican appeared on the primary ballot and the party did not “caucus in” a candidate for the general election.
No independent or write-in candidates filed to be a candidate for city council’s District 5 seat. No election for District 5 will be held on Nov. 5, and Piedmont-Smith will win by default.
Bloomington Common Council: District 6
District 6 covers most of Bloomington’s downtown area, and a dogleg along Atwater. (Click here for a map of city districts.)
Steve Volan was the only candidate in the May 7 District 6 Democratic Party primary and received 176 votes. [Full results here] No Republican appeared on the primary ballot and the party did not “caucus in” a candidate for the general election.
No independent or write-in candidates filed to be a candidate for city council’s District 6 seat. No election for District 6 will be held on Nov. 5, and Volan will win by default.
Bloomington Common Council: At-Large
The nine-member council has three at-large seats. At-large councilmembers are elected citywide.
The top three at-large vote-getters in the May 7 Democratic Party primary, who advanced to the general election, were incumbent Susan Sandberg with 2,993 votes (21.54 percent), incumbent Jim Sims with 2,728 votes (19.63 percent) and Matt Flaherty with 2,564 votes (18.45 percent). The other three candidates in the race were Vauhxx Booker, Jean Capler, and incumbent Andy Ruff. [Full results here] No Republican candidates appeared on the primary ballot and the party did not “caucus in” a candidate for the general election.
No independent or write-in candidates filed to be a candidate for city council’s at-large seats. No election for the at-large seats will be held on Nov. 5, and the three Democratic Party primary winners will win the general election by default.
