Candidates File for Springfield's 2027 Municipal Elections

The field of candidates for Springfield's 2027 municipal elections has taken shape following the close of the filing period on Monday, October 26, with contested races for mayor, city clerk and several seats on the Springfield City Council. The election will determine who leads the city for the next four years, with several incumbent officeholders seeking reelection and others preparing to leave office.

Candidates had from October 19 through October 26 to submit nomination petitions for the April 6, 2027, consolidated election. The filing period concluded at 5 p.m. Monday, with several additional candidates entering races on the final day.

Among the contests is the race for Springfield mayor, where incumbent Misty Buscher will face two challengers seeking to replace her after one term in office. Former Ward 2 Alderman Gail Simpson previously announced her candidacy, while former Springfield budget director Bill McCarty submitted his petitions on the final day of filing.

Buscher, who was elected mayor in 2023 after defeating incumbent Jim Langfelder, is seeking a second four-year term. Before becoming mayor, she served as Springfield city treasurer from 2015 to 2023 and spent 25 years working in the financial industry. Since taking office, her administration has focused on economic development, neighborhood improvements, public safety and addressing homelessness.

During her reelection announcement in May, Buscher highlighted several initiatives undertaken during her first term, including the completion of Scheels Sports Park, improvements in police staffing and the establishment of the BEACON program to assist with mental health-related emergency calls. She also emphasized the importance of cooperation between the mayor's office and City Council, stating, "In that horseshoe, we should not play politics; we should play policy."

McCarty, 51, currently serves as chief financial officer for the Illinois Board of Higher Education and previously worked as chief operating officer for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services. He also served as Springfield's director of the Office of Budget and Management under former Mayors J. Michael Houston and Jim Langfelder.

McCarty previously served as a village trustee and village president in Williamsville before moving to Springfield. He unsuccessfully sought the Springfield mayor's office in 2011, the Republican nomination for Sangamon County treasurer in 2018 and Springfield city treasurer in 2023.

His latest campaign has focused on concerns about Springfield's financial condition and the direction of city government. McCarty has criticized the city's spending and budget deficits, arguing that changes are needed in the mayor's office and on the City Council.

Simpson, who previously represented Ward 2 on the City Council, is also seeking the mayor's office. She served two terms as alderman beginning in 2007 and previously ran for mayor in 2015. She later attempted to return to the City Council in 2019.

The race for Springfield city clerk will also feature new leadership after incumbent Chuck Redpath announced he would not seek another term. Former Sangamon County Recorder Josh Langfelder and Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission member Spurgeon Johnson have entered the contest.

Langfelder previously served 16 years as Sangamon County recorder before narrowly losing his reelection campaign to Frank Lesko in 2024. He currently works as an archival program administrator with the Illinois Secretary of State's Office. Langfelder is also the son of former Springfield Mayor Ossie Langfelder and brother of former Mayor Jim Langfelder.

Johnson, 53, is a U.S. Army veteran, accountant and job coordinator with the Springfield Urban League. He serves on the city's Planning and Zoning Commission and previously ran for a seat on the Springfield Public School District 186 Board of Education.

Both candidates have identified government transparency, improved access to public records and modernization of the City Clerk's Office among their priorities.

Redpath was appointed city clerk following Lesko's resignation to become Sangamon County recorder. Before accepting the appointment, Redpath served on the Springfield City Council for several decades, representing Ward 4 from 1987 to 2007 and Ward 1 beginning in 2015.

Springfield City Treasurer Colleen Redpath Feger, meanwhile, will not face an opponent in her reelection campaign. Feger announced that she submitted 920 petition signatures, exceeding the 265 required to qualify for the ballot. She has worked in city government for nearly 23 years and previously served in the City Treasurer's Office before being elected to lead the department.

Several City Council races will also feature challengers, including multiple contests involving incumbent aldermen and former elected officeholders seeking to return to city government.

In Ward 1, incumbent Alderman Jeff Cox is seeking his first elected term after being appointed to the City Council in February 2025. Cox, an attorney and former assistant Sangamon County state's attorney, was appointed to replace Chuck Redpath following his selection as city clerk. Cox has also worked for the Illinois Department of Agriculture and has been involved in several community organizations.

Cox has identified business development, neighborhood improvements, public safety and protecting Lake Springfield as priorities for Ward 1. Discussing his decision to enter public service following his appointment, Cox said, "I was raised to give back to the community." He is seeking a full four-year term and will face Juan Huerta, a former director of Springfield's Office of Community Relations who currently works for the Illinois Secretary of State.

Ward 2 Alderman Shawn Gregory is seeking a third term and will face challenger Mary Shanklin. Gregory was first elected in 2019 and has focused much of his work on economic development, housing and neighborhood improvements on Springfield's east side.

In Ward 3, incumbent Alderman Roy Williams Jr. is seeking reelection against Bill Eddington, a self-employed mason. Williams has been involved in redevelopment efforts on the city's east side, including work surrounding the former Pillsbury plant property. Eddington has identified housing, neighborhood conditions and city services among his campaign priorities.

Ward 4 will have a new representative following Alderman Larry Rockford's decision not to seek reelection. Brian Baskett, a longtime member of Ironworkers Local 46, was the only candidate to submit petitions for the open seat.

Sontae Massey, a city employee and former associate director of the Massey Commission, previously announced plans to seek the position but did not file nomination petitions before Monday's deadline.

In Ward 5, incumbent Alderman Lakeisha Purchase will face two challengers, including former Ward 5 Alderman and current Sangamon County Board member Sam Cahnman and state employee Colin Phillips.

Cahnman, 72, previously represented Ward 5 on the City Council from 2007 to 2015 and currently serves on the Sangamon County Board in District 18. He lost the Democratic primary for his County Board seat earlier this year to Miguel Valente and will leave the board when the newly elected members take office in December.

The race will be a rematch between Cahnman and Purchase, who defeated him in a three-way contest in 2023. Purchase was initially appointed to the City Council in 2021 before winning election to a full term two years later.

Phillips, who works for the Illinois Department of Human Services, will also seek the seat, making Ward 5 one of several three-candidate contests in the upcoming election.

Ward 6 will feature another three-way race, with incumbent Alderman Jennifer Notariano facing former Alderman Mark Mahoney and local business owner Kevin Slot.

Notariano was first elected in 2023 and is seeking a second term. Mahoney previously represented Ward 6 from 2003 to 2011 and later served as Springfield's director of public works. Slot has identified economic development and business growth among his priorities.

Ward 7 Alderman Brad Carlson will not face a challenger after no other candidate submitted petitions for the position. Carlson, who filed his nomination petitions on the opening day of the filing period, is seeking another term representing the ward.

In Ward 8, three candidates are seeking to replace Alderman Erin Conley, who announced she would not run for reelection. Kate Smith, Teresa Tran and Tony Mares have entered the race for the open seat.

Smith is a state employee with experience in legislative affairs, while Tran works as an account manager for ImpactLife Blood Services. Both previously announced their candidacies and have discussed neighborhood improvements and community involvement in local government.

Mares, 62, entered the race on the final day of filing. He currently works as marketing manager for the Sangamon Mass Transit District and previously served on the Springfield Public School District 186 Board of Education from 2017 to 2025, including time as board president and vice president.

Ward 9 will also have a new alderman because incumbent Jim Donelan is unable to seek another term under the city's term limits. Three candidates have filed for the position, including C.J. Metcalf, Andrew Spiro and Rosanne Pulido.

Metcalf is a state employee with experience serving on local government boards, while Spiro is a former state employee and labor organizer.

Pulido, who entered the race on the final day of filing, has frequently addressed the Springfield City Council during public comment periods. She has been involved in discussions concerning immigration policy, housing conditions and tenant rights.

Pulido previously opposed a proposed Welcoming City ordinance in 2018 and has more recently participated in efforts to address living conditions at Meadow View Landing, a senior housing complex. She has also organized discussions concerning the rights of mobile home residents.

The Ward 10 race will feature Mark Zeigler and Chris Walcher, who are seeking to replace term-limited Alderman Ralph Hanauer.

Zeigler is a local real estate appraiser and business owner who previously announced his candidacy. Walcher, 47, entered the race before the filing deadline and serves as a branch president for American Bank of Freedom.

The election will bring changes to several positions in city government regardless of the results. Wards 4, 8, 9 and 10 will have new representatives, while the City Clerk's Office will also be filled by someone other than its current officeholder.

The current candidate list remains subject to possible changes through the petition objection process. Candidates and other eligible objectors have until November 2 to review and challenge nomination petitions. Successful objections could result in candidates being removed from the ballot.

Individuals may also seek office as write-in candidates by following the applicable election requirements.

A municipal primary election is scheduled for February 23, 2027, if any individual race draws five or more qualifying candidates. Based on the candidates who submitted petitions by the filing deadline, no race currently has enough candidates to require a primary.

Springfield voters will elect the mayor, city clerk, city treasurer and representatives for all ten wards during the consolidated election on April 6, 2027.