Stephen Volan, the representative of what used to be Bloomington’s sixth district before the maps were redrawn, has decided to run for an at-large seat on city council.
The decision to run for one of the three at-large seat marks a notable shift for Volan, who had represented the student-heavy District 6 since 2004.
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After district lines were redrawn, Volan was placed in the new District 4 along with colleague Dave Rollo, because his home no longer falls within the boundaries of District 6.
Volan had said he wasn’t sure whether he’d run for re-election, citing hesitation to run against his colleague for the District 4 seat.
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He announced his candidacy for an at-large seat on social media Friday.
“Maybe the electorate will say it’s time for me to move on; maybe they’ll bring me back,” Volan said in a Facebook post. “But at least I know that on May 2, for the first time for most of your local friends, you’ll actually have the chance to vote for me. I hope you’ll support me continuing to work for the city.”
Volan has held various titles during his time on the city council including vice president in 2007 and parliamentarian in 2009, 2010 and 2016.
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He has also served on the city’s parking commission and the board of directors for the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District.
Volan is originally from northwest Indiana and has lived in Bloomington since 1986. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University, according to his website.
The deadline to file for city elections was noon Feb. 3. Volan’s paperwork was uploaded to the county’s documents center the same day, meaning he was one of the last to formalize his candidacy.
