Mayoral Candidates to Debate at Knox College

Political science professor Andrew Civettini, moderator of the Galesburg mayoral debate on March 5, observes the U.S. senatorial debate on campus in 2008.

Knox College will be the site of a debate among the candidates for Galesburg's next mayor. The debate -- sponsored by Knox College and the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce -- will be held at 7 p.m., March 5, 2013 in Kresge Recital Hall, Ford Center for Fine Arts. The event is free and open to the public.

All three candidates on the ballot--Galesburg's current Mayor Salvador Garza, former Councilwoman Margaret Hall, and business owner John Pritchard--have agreed to participate.

Andrew Civettini, assistant professor of political science will moderate the debate and ask questions about current issues facing Galesburg and its citizens. There will be a brief question & answer opportunity for the audience after the formal debate.

The local election for the City of Galesburg will take place on April 9, 2013.

The Candidates:
Mayor Sal Garza is running for his second term as Galesburg's mayor, having been elected mayor in 2009. Garza works full-time as an Economic Development Manager overseeing the West Central Region with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Prior to that he worked as a senior engineer at the Maytag Corporation. Garza's formal education and training is in engineering, business administration and economic development. Garza served in the United States Marine Corps, served as a Fire & Police Commissioner (1997-2009) and currently is serving on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Municipal League.

Former Councilwoman Margaret Hall owns a local painting business for 40 years with her husband. Hall served on the Galesburg City Council as a second ward alderman from 1993 to 2001.

Businessman John Pritchard is the President of Galesburg Broadcasting, which runs four radio stations in Galesburg, as well as six radio stations as Pritchard Broadcasting in Burlington, Iowa. He currently serves on the boards of the National Railroad Hall of Fame and the Galesburg Business and Technology Center. He was previously the publisher of The Register-Mail from 1976 to 1981. Past public service includes the United Way of Knox County Board, the Illinois Bar Association's Fair Trial Free Press Committee and Chairman of the Galesburg Economic Development Council for several years. Pritchard also has served as Chairman and Director of various banks associated with the First Galesburg National Bank & Trust Company, including Chairman of Madison Park Bank in Peoria, IL. He is an alumnus of Knox College, and serves on the board of the Galesburg Regional Economic Development Association (GREDA).