Ward 8 Ald. Erin Conley announced Sunday she won’t be seeking a third term on the Springfield City Council, leaving only one declared candidate in the Ward 8 race.
Candidates have from Oct. 19-23 to file their petitions for the Consolidated Primary Election, scheduled for Feb. 23. A candidate running for Ward 8 needs a minimum of 265 valid signatures on their nominating petitions, according to the city clerk’s office. Petition requirements are based on 1% of the total votes cast in the last preceding mayoral election.
Conley shared the news via her Facebook page on Oct. 11 and cited the challenges juggling personal issues, her career and fulfilling the role representing the ward.
“I love the job, and it means more than I can express…but I have had some heavy situations in my personal life and I have come to realize that working a full time job, working my Alderwoman job, and running for office was more of a full plate than I can accommodate right now,” she wrote.
In her post, Conley highlighted her work spearheading an expansion of the city’s home improvement grant program for low-income homeowners and the passage of paid parental leave for city employees.
“Serving in public office has been a real honor, and I look at programs that didn’t exist before I was in council and am proud of having had the opportunity to be a part of progress in this city,” she wrote.
Conley works for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and was first elected to the City Council in 2019. She was unopposed when she ran for reelection in 2023. Prior to that, Conley was elected to the Springfield District 186 Board of Education from 2005-2009, including serving a term as president.
The 8th ward includes portions of the west and central parts of the city.
The only candidate to formally announce a run for Ward 8 thus far is Teresa Tran, an account manager at a nonprofit that operates blood donation sites. She’s a member of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and a volunteer with WILD Canine Rescue, according to her social media posts.
Tran announced her candidacy in a video posted on Facebook in June. It begins with her narration over a montage of her leaving and entering her home, in one image wearing business casual wear and another a full-length apron, before cutting to Tran.
“I’m a mom. I’ve worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. And I still know what it’s like to stretch every dollar but still wonder how to get ahead. And that’s why I’m running to be your Ward 8 alderwoman. Springfield deserves leadership that listens, shows up and gets results,” she said.
In the video, Tran invites residents to fill out a survey identifying the things they care about.
“Your feedback will help shape this campaign because the best ideas don’t come from politicians,” she said. “They come from our neighbors.”
In August, Tran spoke out against what she called harassment and intimidation after a Sangamon County Democratic committeeperson contacted her and discouraged her from running against Conley, the incumbent Democratic.
Tran recalled the committee member arguing the Asian population is too small in Springfield to have representation on the City Council, to which Tran replied she aims to represent all residents.
Due to the interaction, Tran said she filed a police report against the committeeperson, who later resigned. Conley made a social media post denouncing what she described as “unacceptable behavior towards my opponent for Ward 8,” saying “I welcome Teresa to the race … (and) look forward to a healthy discussion of our ideas and the issues facing our ward and city.”
Tran would be the first Asian American to serve on the Springfield City Council if she wins the seat.
