News
Jacksonville Mayor Waited For Another Candidate, Decided To Run As Write-In
By: Liam Niemeyer
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Jacksonville Mayor Tony McNickle is running in the November re-election for mayor of the village as a write-in candidate, a decision he made while waiting for someone else to run.
McNickle said he was waiting for another person, who he declined to name, to run for mayor instead of him. He decided to run when the the person did not file for the election.
“Sometimes we think we can do our best, but there’s always someone out there that can do it better,” McNickle said. “That’s what I was hoping for with this person stepping in. He would have possibly done it, but he didn’t. But that’s okay.”
He said he wasn’t sure why the person decided not to run, but that he hadn’t asked for a reason.
The only candidate with their name on the ballot is former mayor Jay Chapman. McNickle said that Chapman’s campaign for re-election is another reason for running as a write-in.
“Why do we want to give someone an ample opportunity to come back when he couldn’t do it the first time,” McNickle said. “Why should we give him the opportunity the second time?”
McNickle said he hopes to continue the improvements that his administration has brought to the city during his past two years as mayor.
Chapman and McNickle are the only two official candidates for mayor for the Nov. 3 election. The registration date to file as a write-in candidate for the November general election has already passed.