Daughter of Former U.S. Senator Runs for Carbondale Mayor

Sheila Simon, daughter of former Illinois senator and one-time presidential candidate Paul Simon, has announced her candidacy for mayor of the Southern Illinois city of Carbondale.

Simon, an attorney, has just completed her first term as a member of the Carbondale City Council and is running against incumbent mayor Brad Cole. Cole, a Republican, is also completing his first term. City elections are technically party-free, but both of the major candidates are affiliated with major political parties.

Simon and Cole are clearly the front-runners and will be at the top of ballot, but a third candidate, Jessica Davis, has also announced her candidacy. Davis is the director of student development for the Southern Illinois University School of Law.

Sheila Simon follows in the populist footsteps of her father, limiting campaign contributions to no more than $50 per person. She had the same limit three years ago when she ran for city council.

Simon has also announced that she will publish an inclusive list of people who contribute to her campaign, including their names and hometowns. She has said she will not accept contributions from city employees because there should be "absolutely no connection between contributions and employment with the city of Carbondale."

Her father, known for his signature bow-tie, was a trained newspaperman who worked his way into Illinois politics and served for several years as Illinois' senator. In 1988, he ran against Michael Dukakis for the Democratic nomination for president.

After his political career ended, Paul Simon founded the Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale to study the interaction between the media and politics. After his death, the institute was renamed the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

Sheila Simon is a graduate of the law school at Southern Illinois University and lives in Carbondale with her husband and two daughters. She teaches family law and legal writing at the law school.

Cole is a state employee in addition to serving as the city's mayor. Under his leadership, the city had its first city-wide cleanup, supported by a summer jobs program he helped design. The summer jobs program employed several hundred high school an college students to remove debris and clean up landscapes in the public areas of the city.

Davis has announced a platform based largely on improving educational opportunities within the city and preserving the city's historic districts. Simon has also released her platform for her campaign emphasizing the need for integrity, responsibility and opportunity.