A candidate for Springfield mayor says he jumped into the race in the final days of the petition filing period after being convinced by a former mayor and members of both major political parties.
Bill McCarty told Patrick Pfingsten on WMAY’s PM Springfield that he was not going to run as late as last Tuesday, but former Mayor Jim Langfelder and others changed his mind.
McCarty was the city’s budget director for 12 years under Langfelder and Mayor Mike Houston. McCarty said he helped rebuild the city’s reserves after the 2008 recession, and he’s concerned about increasing deficits drawing down those reserves.
McCarty is the chief financial officer with the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
Incumbent Mayor Misty Buscher and former alderwoman Gail Simpson also filed petitions to run for mayor in the April 2027 election.
