Big Talk

One of two mid-20s candidates for city council in this year’s municipal election, Ryan Maloney also is one of two Indiana University students hoping to gain a seat. Born in Australia and raised in Nevada, Maloney has worked as a bus driver since moving to Bloomington to study at SPEA. He hopes to become a lawyer, working in the interest …

A software engineer and passionate environmentalist, Bingham takes on incumbent Dorothy Granger and fellow challenger Sue Sgambelluri in next month’s Democratic primary. The winner faces Andrew Guenther, running unopposed in the Republican primary, in November’s general election. Formerly co-chair of Bloomington’s Innovation Task Force, Bingham served on John Hamilton transition team after the 2015 municipal election. Bingham advocates for cooperative …

The ringleader of the whimsical voter participation advocacy group Grassroots Goofballs turns serious with his announcement he’s running for Bloomington’s top political office as an independent. A passionate lover of books and a dedicated student of theater, Arena hopes to bring the perspective of those just turning 30 to the civic forum. He claims it’s his — and our — …

A “Bloomerang” resident since 2013, Matt Flaherty has returned to Indiana University as a student in his 30s to gain dual master’s degrees in public affairs and environmental science. This, after earning a law degree here in 2010. While working for a high-powered Chicago law firm Flaherty longed for a vocation that would benefit people in need. He supports himself …

A fundraiser for Indiana University, Sue Sgambelluri has had a foot in each of the worlds of corporate philanthropy and nonprofit organizations since she arrived to Bloomington in 1994. Sgambelluri’s experience witnessing the collapse of the steel industry in Northwest Indiana in the 1970s and ’80s inspires her to make sure Bloomington never suffers its own economic downturn. Her work …

Running for the second time for city council, Smith hopes to defeat fellow Democrat Jim Blickensdorf, owner of Grazie Italiano restaurant on the square, to fill the seat being vacated by single-termer Allison Chopra. Smith ran in 2011 against Marty Spechler, himself a one-term council member. Smith has worked all his life in the social services field, retiring last year …

The 2016 Bloomington Woman of the Year and a clinical social worker, Jean Capler is a first time candidate for elective office. She’s taking on At Large incumbents Susan Sandberg, Jim Sims, and Andy Ruff as well as two other first-time challengers Vauhxx Booker and Matt Flaherty in the May Democratic primary. No Republican is running thus far for an …

He’s the only Republican running for office so far in the 2019 Bloomington election. Guenther, a 2018 graduate of Indiana University, is hoping to unseat incumbent Dorothy Granger on the city council. Guenther already has made his mark in local politics, serving on several civic boards and commissions. He grew up in farm country and moved to Bloomington to attend …

Currently the deputy director of the Indiana Arts Commission, Miah Michaelsen served as Bloomington “art czarina” (her words) under former Mayor Mark Kruzan. During her stint in city hall, she led the successful effort to declare the state’s first municipal arts and cultural district here. She also was instrumental in getting the city and Ivy Tech to sign an agreement …

A veteran of seven previous political campaigns, Kate Rosenbarger has announced her own candidacy for the Bloomington city council District 1 seat now held by Chris Sturbaum. Rosenbarger was deputy director of Liz Watson’s campaign for US Congress in 2018. Now the executive director of TEDx Bloomington, Rosenbarger previously worked as an analyst for NeighborWorks America, a federally-funded nonprofit helping …