Bloomington has its first candidate for mayor.
John Hamilton, a former state and county government official, filed his candidacy for mayor of Bloomington on Monday.
“It was a few weeks of conversations,” Hamilton said about his decision to run for mayor. “But the upshot, the conclusion was that I really believe in government, and making it work well and serve everybody better.”
This is Hamilton’s second time running for mayor. The Bloomington native’s last attempt was the 2011 primary, in which three-term mayor Mark Kruzan defeated him. Kruzan announced he will not run for a fourth term this Spring on Nov. 18.
“I’ll be an accessible, open-door mayor, for all the creative and energetic people and institutions of Bloomington, leading a transparent and accountable City Hall to get results,” Hamilton said in a press release.
Hamilton has spent much of his professional life in government, previously serving as Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and Trustee for the Monroe County Community School Corporation.
In addition to his government positions, Hamilton worked as an adjunct professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and as president of City First Enterprises, a non-profit bank in Washington D.C.
Hamilton said that he plans to focus his campaign on economic and environmental justice issues.
“Well, during my whole career I’ve worked to make government serve everyone better, particularly those without as much power,” Hamilton said. “I’ve been dedicated to creating more economic justice and opportunity for all, and I love my hometown and I want to see that here.”
IU faculty members Nick Cullather and Lee Hamilton are listed as supporters in John Hamilton’s press release. Lee Hamilton is a former U.S. Congressman and directs the IU Center on Congress, a non-partisan educational institution.
When Kruzan announced he would not seek a fourth term as mayor of Bloomington he cleared the way for a new mayor.
Hamilton failed to unseat Kruzan in the 2011 Democratic primary, winning only 40 percent of the votes. He said he does not speculate on whether he is an early favorite to be the democratic nominee.
“That’s horserace stuff, I’m not really paying any attention to that,” said Hamilton. “I’m looking forward to a race. We’ll see who’s on it.”
