Race for mayor

When mayoral candidate Mark Kruzan came to Bloomington as a freshman at IU, his plan was to go to class and then get out of town. Now, 25 years later, he's still in Bloomington and running as the Democratic candidate for mayor.\nRaised in Munster, Indiana, Kruzan moved to Bloomington in 1978 where he earned degrees in journalism and political science. During his time at IU, Kruzan worked on the Indiana Daily Student and served as student body president during his senior year. After graduating in 1982, Kruzan attended IU's Law School. It was during these experiences, he said, that he began to see Bloomington in a new light.\n"I came to Bloomington with the intent of attending classes and then going back home to work," Kruzan said. "But in a very short amount of time, this became home. As mayor, I'd like to keep Bloomington the kind of place that others want to call home."\nAfter graduating from law school, Kruzan was elected to the position of Indiana State Representative in 1986, serving from 1996 to 2002 as the House Majority Leader. Now, Kruzan said he wants to return to where he feels is his home: Bloomington.\n"I think the most common question I get from other politicians is, 'Why?'" Kruzan said. "And the answer is pretty simple … because it's Bloomington. We have the amenities of a big city, while still maintaining the character of a smaller town. There's really no place in Indiana like this."\nCasey Holsapple, an IU senior and intern for the campaign since May, said he's seen Kruzan's dedication to Bloomington firsthand.\n"Mark's a model Bloomington citizen, and can draw upon his experiences to relate to nearly anyone," Holsapple said. "He's done it all, from undergrad, to graduate student, to Bloomington resident, to statehouse representative."\nIt is this longstanding relationship with Bloomington that Kruzan feels is a strength of his.\n"The experience of having served in government for 16 years and having had the background of attending and working at IU have given me a lot of skills required in running a city," Kruzan said.\nCurrent Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez has known Kruzan since 1986 when Kruzan was running for State Representative. Fernandez said he agrees that Kruzan's years of experience have provided the candidate with important tools necessary in running a city.\n"We go way back," Fernandez said. "My first political involvement was volunteering on his campaign in 1986, so I guess that makes my political involvement his fault then!"\nFernandez said his relationship with Kruzan, both professional and as friends, made it easy to endorse his candidacy. \n"There is no question to me that he is the most qualified candidate for this position," Fernandez continued. "He has a great track record at working across aisles as the majority leader. But beyond that, he is very committed to working for the common good of Bloomington and has the kind of passion that, I believe, is necessary to be an effective mayor."\nKruzan said there are certain challenges facing the city that need to be addressed immediately. His focus so far during the election has been on the relationship between the physical growth of Bloomington's population, economic development, and the widening income gap. \n"Any student who lives within a few blocks of the courthouse square, or really anywhere around campus, will understand the physical growth problem," Kruzan said. "We've got traffic and parking problems that are getting worse. The next mayor needs to help manage growth and make it easiest for [people] to get where they want to go."\nKruzan's concern over growing traffic problems is not just because of the inconvenience of the situation. He said he sees the issue as a part of Bloomington's economic development and "a threat to our economic strength."\n"A lot of things that people might not think of as economic-related, I believe are," Kruzan said. "I look at almost anything as being economic development. Social Service, for example, is not simply welfare but it is empowering a person to get out of poverty and become a tax-paying member of society."\nIn addition to concern over handling the physical growth of Bloomington's population and its economic development, Kruzan said he feels that the growing income gap is another major problem facing Bloomington today.\n"I'm really nervous about the wage disparity that's apparent in the community, Kruzan said. "There is a growing gap between those who make a lot of money and the working poor. And worse than no pay, at times, is no benefits. The cost and availability of health insurance is a huge threat to a family and also to the economy of Bloomington."\nKruzan said he sees all of his campaigns major initiatives as intertwined. \n"I do think those are the three challenges facing Bloomington," he said. "I really view it not as three different topics, but as three parts of the same circle."\nBoth Kruzan and Holsapple expressed confidence in the way Kruzan is presenting his concerns to the community. \n"As the election nears, everyday becomes that much more important," Holsapple said. "We've been able to remain focused on our objective: getting Mark elected as mayor."\nKruzan said he is proud of the way he's campaigned so far.\n"Anything can happen but it's so far exactly the campaign I've intended to run," he said. "Any candidate should have one rule: on election night, win or lose, you've done everything you've set out to do. If the election was held today, I could say that."\nTo learn more, visit www.kruzan.us.\n-Contact staff reporter Sarah Schwimmer at sschwimm@indiana.edu