Friends,

Kerry Thomson is the right person at the right time.

As Bloomington’s second-longest serving mayor, I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to run city government, and Kerry has it.  

Kerry Thomson’s entire professional life has prepared her to lead our city – and lead it well.

• She has more than 25 years of executive leadership experience.

• She’s managed large teams, complex systems, and multi-million-dollar budgets.

• She’s a consensus builder who listens, learns and then leads with compassion. 

• And most importantly for this year’s election, she has a proven record of turning troubled organizations around and getting them back on track.

Contested primaries are tough. People who share the Democratic label suddenly find themselves in opposition. Friends and allies break into different camps. There will be hurt feelings on all sides when the votes are done being counted. The next mayor will need to unify us. But not just unify us as Democrats, the next mayor is going to have to bring the entire community back together.

Despite having created an Outreach Director position, City Hall has managed to alienate a large portion of Bloomington and beyond. Bridges that once linked city government to county government, the university, state government, labor unions, and, crucially, City Council have been burned.

An outsider’s perspective has never been more needed.  Kerry Thomson is uniquely qualified to fix the problem. Turning distressed organizations around is her thing!  As its CEO, she took Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County from debt to a $6 million mortgage portfolio that’s now built more than 220 homes for local residents. And she led IU’s Center for Rural Engagement from a start-up to a nationally recognized model. 

Kerry will use her leadership skills to get city government back on track so that it’s working with all of us for all of us.

I ask you to join me in supporting Kerry Thomson for Mayor in the May 2nd Democratic Primary. Your vote for Kerry is an investment in a better Bloomington for all.

Mark Kruzan
Mayor, City of Bloomington, 2004-2015