SOUTH BEND — Democrat Heidi Beidinger has been selected to take over the vacant 4th District South Bend Common Council seat, replacing former Council member Troy Warner following his appointment as chief of staff for Mayor James Mueller.
Beidinger was chosen in the first round of voting at a May 20 caucus hosted by the St. Joseph County Democrats to choose a successor for Warner, who concluded his time on the Common Council on May 15 and, as of June 1, will begin as Mueller’s chief of staff.
Ballots were cast by the district’s seven precinct chairs.
Beidinger will serve for the remainder of Warner’s current four-year term, ending Dec. 31, 2027, and her first Common Council meeting will be next Tuesday, May 26, at 7 p.m.
When speaking with reporters after the caucus ended, Beidinger said she felt “utter elation” to be selected, adding that when her name was read after the ballots were counted, it didn’t sink in at first.
“I actually had to ask the person next to me, I’m like, ‘Did she just say my name?’ And she goes, ‘Yes,’ she goes, ‘you won,'” Beidinger said. “Just filled with joy. This is amazing … and I’m so looking forward to being in this role.”
Beidinger announced her candidacy for the seat in mid-May, vowing to prioritize safe and healthy housing initiatives; protect public health and improve quality of life; and foster collaboration among residents, local government, schools and community organizations.
She told reporters that she’ll also strive to engage with the precinct chairs, many of whom were in attendance and voted Wednesday night.
“They have ideas, and they, too, want a better District 4 and a healthier South Bend,” she said.
And, Beidinger said, she’s excited to learn from her fellow council members about the position, adding that she plans to spend the weekend studying up before her first meeting on Tuesday night.
She is professor of the practice in the Eck Institute of Health at the University of Notre Dame, and she served as a member of and as president of the St. Joseph County Board of Health from 2016 to 2023. And those experiences will serve her well in her new role, she said.
“I worked on public health and policy. I mean, policy, when you’re on a board, policy is largely what you do,” Beidinger said. “… And so, taking all these experiences and now bringing that to the Common Council, but also shining a light on public health.
“So I know we’re talking a lot about, you know, safe and healthy housing and zoning and, you know, building and economic development, but also making sure we don’t forget about the community’s health. So I think that’s a really important piece for me to bring over, but also this expertise in policy and policy development and policy implementation.”
Beidinger also joins the already predominantly female Common Council, which, she said, she sees as an opportunity to focus more on women’s issues in a space that is often male-dominated.
And that “urge to care” is what drives her, she said.
“I care about people. They matter,” Beidinger said. “Everybody has a story. Everybody deserves to be able to thrive in our community.”
Email South Bend Tribune staff reporter Rayleigh Deaton at rdeaton@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Beidinger chosen to replace Warner for vacant Common Council seat
Reporting by Rayleigh Deaton, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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