Search Begins to Fill Rep.-Elect Adam Brown’s Decatur City Council Seat

A special write-in election will be held to fill State Representative-elect Adam Brown's vacant Decatur City Council seat.

Brown narrowly defeated four-term incumbent Bob Flider (D-Mt. Zion) in the November 2nd election, and last week resigned from the city council. Brown's resignation came after the election filing deadline, which means candidates interested in running for the seat will have to file as write-in candidates on the ballot.

If more than four candidates decide to jump into the race, then a special write-in primary will take place on Feb. 22 with the names of the four top candidates appearing on the ballot in the April 5 election. But if there is not a primary, then Macon County Clerk Steve Bean said voters will have to write-in the candidates' names in the general election. Bean said this will be the largest write-in race that has taken place Macon County in recent years.

"It'll slow down whatever counting process we have for whichever election we do this in," he said.

But before the general election, Decatur Mayor Mike McElroy will have to appoint a new city council member to fill Brown vacated seat. He has 60 days to choose someone following Brown's departure from the council. McElroy, who's up for re-election, acknowledged that it is possible he will appoint someone who plans on running for the seat in the general election.

"I don't know that it behooves anyone to figure that we just want you for five months," McElroy said. "If you're thinking seriously about it, then we want someone that's going to go on and finish out that term."

He said whoever he appoints will have to win the approval of the five current sitting members on the Decatur City Council. McElroy said he hopes to make a decision by next week. People interested in running as a write-in candidate have until Dec. 23 to file the necessary election documents with the Decatur city clerk. Unlike national or statewide races, no signatures or petitions are required for write-in candidates to be on the ballot.

So far, the only person to declare his candidacy is Macon County Historical Society director Patrick McDaniel, who unsuccessfully ran for the Decatur City Council last year. However, others have expressed interest in running.