Edgcomb is projected winner of Peru 2nd Ward alderman seat

Peru voters have unofficially elected Jason Edgcomb to serve as one of the city’s 2nd Ward aldermen for the next four years.

“We ran a campaign where we went around and spoke with some people in the ward about what Peru’s been doing and listened to people on what they want and what they’re looking for, and I believe they trust me to be able to go forward and help keep Peru on the path that we’re going and do the things that we’ve wanted to get done.”

—  Jason Edgcomb

With all precincts reporting, Edgcomb led his opponent, Tom Riordan, by a vote of 553 to 273. As of Monday, La Salle County had 119 outstanding mail-in ballots, which would not be enough to change the race results. Votes are officially canvassed in two weeks.

“I feel good about it,” Edgcomb said. “We ran a campaign where we went around and spoke with some people in the ward about what Peru’s been doing and listened to people on what they want and what they’re looking for, and I believe they trust me to be able to go forward and help keep Peru on the path that we’re going and do the things that we’ve wanted to get done.”

Leading up to Election Day, Edgcomb sat down with Shaw Media to provide insight on why he decided to run for office and what he hopes to accomplish moving forward for the next four years.

Edgcomb has worked for the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office since 2002 and has served as Jail Superintendent for the past decade.

He is an active member with the La Salle County Drug Court, member and former President of the Peru Citizens Service Organization and a long-time member of the Knights of Columbus.

The Illinois Valley has always been home for Edgcomb, and he has specifically resided in Peru for the past 12 years with his wife, Angie, and son, Anthony.

The opening of the Second Ward Alderman position came at a great time for Edgcomb, as he was hopeful to be able to use the knowledge he has gained in his professional and volunteer careers to directly address the needs of the Second Ward.

Edgcomb mentioned he has a strong sense of civic duty and will use his time in office to help his neighbors. His goal is to be a strong advocate for the residents and businesses of the Second Ward.

He would like to see Peru continue its upward trajectory by expanding responsibly while continuing to keep a close eye on the city budget and tax base that must service the expanded infrastructure. He would also like to begin working on a solution for the Peru Mall, which has seen a sharp decline in stores in the recent years.

Edgcomb is motivated to work for the citizens and businesses of the Second Ward along with his fellow members of the City Council and the Mayor to help improve the community in any way they can.

“Me being new and going in is going to be a big change for the city, obviously, and any time you get a brand new mayor coming into a position, there’s going to be a learning curve for him and a learning curve for me coming in,” Edgcomb said.

“We will all get in together and make sure we can do the things that we need to do for the city to make sure we keep progressing.”