The City County Observer has just learned that State Representative Gail Riecken will be holding a news conference on January 10 at the CK Newsome Center,to officially announce if she will be a Democratic candidate for Mayor of Evansville in 2015. The time of the news conference is 11:15 am.
This announcement could open the door to an historic election in Evansville, as her candidacy will give Evansville the chance to elect its first woman to the Mayor’s office in the 202 Year history of this great city. Mrs. Riecken has served as the District 77 Representative in the Indiana Legislature since 2009, and was also on the Evansville City Council early in her political career
We hear that local rank and file Democrats are looking to State Representative Riecken to help unite their party, which has been splintered since the last City election. At that time, a group of Democrats broke off from their party to support Republican Lloyd Winnecke over the Democrat, the late Rick Davis. The party “rebellion†and low voter participation allowed Winnecke to win the now financially  embattled Mayor’s office.
State Representative Riecken has earned a solid reputation as an effective office-holder who is highly responsive to the needs and wishes of her constituents.
She is a graduate of Bosse High School and Indiana University, and is a licensed Marine Pilot. She has served as a Neighborhood Coordinator for the Community Action Program of Evansville and Executive Director of the Evansville Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as piloting the Winnie Mae on the Ohio River.
Gail has been involved in too many community service projects to list, but she has a special interest in protecting our children and in historic preservation. She is a co-founder of Ark Crisis Nursery and has served on the board of Family and Children’s Service. She has been a coordinator of the Riverside Neighborhood Association and sat on the board of the Evansville Preservation Alliance and Hope of Evansville.
Gail has been married for more than forty years to Ron Riecken, who built Inland Marina with his brother, Carl in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. He served three tours of duty in Viet Nam, as well. She and Ron are the parents of two daughters, Julia Belle Riecken Langerak and Katie Riecken. Parker. They have three (3) grandchildren, Joey, Martha and George
If State Representative Gail Riecken decides to run for Mayor of Evansville we predict this will be the most expensive and spirited Mayoral race in Evansville 202 year history. We are looking forward to see if the voters of this great city will elect its first woman mayor in our 202 year history.
Please take time and vote in todays “Readers Poll”.
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