Democratic nominee Kerry Thomson was elected mayor of Bloomington Tuesday night.
No Republican challenged her in the general election, and her victory was all but assured after winning the three-way primary in May with 43 percent of the vote.
"I never dreamed I would be elected mayor of the city I very surprisingly fell in love with on a cross-country bicycle trip," Thomson said in her victory speech. "But tonight, together, we begin writing a new chapter for our beloved city."
She led the Bloomington branch of Habitat for Humanity for two decades, from 1997 till 2017. Since then, Thomson has been executive director of the Center for Rural Engagement on IU’s campus.
She used her background with Habitat to her advantage in the campaign, focusing on affordable housing and a people-first leadership style.
2023 Contested General Election Results
Thomson said that on her first day in office she would, "thank everyone who is serving the City of Bloomington, meet the ones I haven't meet yet and start building the team, because we have a lot of work to do."
This is Thomson’s first foray into public office.
She will succeed current mayor John Hamilton, who has held the city’s highest office since 2016.
