Former Park Board Trustee Would Represent Northwestern Neighborhoods as Ninth Ward Alderman
C.J. Metcalf, a proven public servant with more than 25 years of state and local government experience, announced today he is asking fellow Ninth Ward residents to nominate him to be their next Alderman.
“City government delivers some of our most basic shared needs,” Metcalf said. “In Springfield, that includes reliable public safety services, effective infrastructure, and responsible regulation. I am running to represent Ward 9, my family’s home, because my many experiences in state and local government administration can advance those needs and encourage collaboration among Springfield city officials.”
Serving on Springfield City Council would be a return to elected office for Metcalf and the latest chapter in his public service career. In the past 10 years alone, he has consistently shown the professionalism, tenacity, and commitment it takes to serve in local government, including:
- Two terms as a citywide elected Trustee of the Springfield Park District.
- Clerk of the Sangamon County Water Reclamation District Board of Directors.
- Member of the Springfield Convention and Visitors Advisory Board.
- Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Illinois Parks Association Risk Services.
Metcalf is also uniquely prepared to address budget issues at City Hall. Drawing from his tenure on the Board of Trustees, Metcalf helps audit Springfield Park District financial reports and is a former Treasurer of the Illinois Association of Park Districts Board of Directors. C.J. also maintains professional certifications for his position in Illinois state government, where he regulates insurance and financial service producers.
If elected, Metcalf would succeed Alderman Jim Donelan, who is term limited.
“Let me express on behalf of Ward 9 residents our gratitude to Jim Donelan for representing us these past 12 years,” Metcalf said. “I am confident his commitment to the Springfield community will continue beyond his time at City Hall and that we are better because of his many years of service. My intention as a candidate for Ward 9 Alderman is to further perfect the example he set so that, together, we are building a prosperous future for Springfield.”
About C.J. Metcalf
C.J. and Jenny Metcalf moved their young family in 2014 to their Ninth Ward home after years of commuting from Jacksonville and Lincoln to their state government staff positions based in Springfield. They have since become active members of the Harrison Park Neighborhood Association, attend worship services at Westside Christian Church, and regularly show up at community service projects. C.J. Metcalf was also a volunteer coach with the Springfield Kings youth hockey organization before becoming a frequent supporter and attendee of Pleasant Plains school athletic events.
Born in Indiana and raised in Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia, and Missouri communities, C.J. first moved to Springfield in 1999 after earning his bachelor’s degree in political science from Southeast Missouri State University. He spent that year advancing legislative affairs as a James H. Dunn Fellow assigned to the Office of Illinois Gov. George Ryan. C.J.’s ability to collaborate with state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and appreciation for highly technical public policy led him to the Illinois Department of Insurance, his professional home since 2000.
C.J. and Jenny have been happily married for 25 years. Together, they are proud parents of Jacob, a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Owen, a junior at Pleasant Plains High School.
About Ward 9 and Springfield City Government
Springfield voters will next consider candidates for Mayor and City Council in the 2027 Consolidated Election on April 6, 2027. If necessary, a primary election would take place on February 23, 2027. Springfield municipal elections are nonpartisan.
The City of Springfield, Illinois, is a Mayor-Council city government unit in central Illinois. Home to more than 114,400 people, Springfield is the seat of government for Sangamon County, capital city of the State of Illinois, and owner-operator of the City, Water, Light & Power public utility. The mayor is elected every four years through citywide popular vote to serve as the government’s chief executive and presiding officer with voting powers of the 10-member City Council. Members of the Springfield City Council (Alderpersons) are also elected to four-year terms representing the ward in which they maintain primary residence.
Ward 9 includes homes, businesses, and gathering spaces among the city’s northwestern neighborhoods. Candidates for Ward 9 Alderperson in 2027 must file nominating petitions with 237 valid signatures from voters registered to Ward 9 addresses. The filing period opens October 19.