On October 2nd, Walesburg voted to secede from Cinniapolis. On October 24th, the Cinniapolis City Council officially approved the secession, which will be effective February 1st, 2025. One of the first measures of the independent township will be electing their Mayor. Just one candidate has officially declared, but Cinniapolis Chorus sources agree that their will likely be 3 additional potential candidates. Here is our breakdown of the potential 2025 Walesburg Mayoral candidates:

Annabelle Winston
Ms. Winston declared her intention in March to replace Walesburg councilman Rory Peters. She was an advocate and rallied for Walesburg’s independence from Cinniapolis. Now, she is focused on her community and neighbors to push through what she anticipates will be a lonely, isolated transition period, “We did it! We forged our own destiny. Walesburgans should be proud of this historic achievement. But, we should also be aware of the bumpy roads ahead. Mayor Gondola’s administration has been unavailable when approached as a partner for a seamless transition,” she said, taking on a more Mayoral tone than some of her more famous quotes from the past such as “Free at last, free at last, or some (expletive) like that,” she famously said after her early release from prison. Ms. Winston is the only candidate to have declared for the upcoming election.

Gerard Gonzalez
Mr. Gonzalez is just 20 years old but has a history of community organization over the past few years. He has advocated for immigrants rights through social media posts, interviews on 510 AM, and organized marches. Mr. Gonzalez graduated in the top 5% of his high school class and chose to start his career rather than attend college, “I had academic scholarship offers but I felt it was most important to participate in effecting change. I’m more useful on the streets and on the airwaves than I am sitting in the corner of a classroom being lectured on Socrates,” he said.

Shaquille Aston
Mr. Aston has been the General Manager (GM) for Thick Pickins for nearly 3 years. During his tenure as GM, employee retention set new records for Thick Pickins superstores. His store became the most profitable while also recording the most sales of any Thick Pickins store in the history of the company. Mr. Aston declined to provide a comment for this article. However, in the past when approached about entering politics, Mr. Aston has consistently said, “Politics are for politicians. I enjoy my lifestyle and currently have no ambitions to enter the political arena.” The Chorus included Mr. Aston because he is a lifelong resident of Walesburg and delivered well-received speeches at Walesburg recession rallies.

Chester “Chess” Murphy
Mr. Murphy has been a fixture in Cinniapolis politics for over 20 years. He unsuccessfully ran for Mayor in 2016. Mr. Murphy also managed his brother Arn’s campaign for the 2023 Special Election, which saw Mayor Gondola win and Arn Murphy securing less than 1% of the vote. Mr. Murphy spear-headed the Walesburg secession movement which leaves the Chorus and its sources wondering if all the hub-bub was for a shot to lead a city of his own. When reached for comment, Mr. Murphy said, “Well, I’ll never say never to anything. We’ll do our own research on our chances. If there is a chance at victory, then we’ll certainly entertain a campaign for Mayor.”

It’s highly unlikely Ms. Winston will run unopposed. It’s also unlikely these will be the only candidates considered for Mayor of Walesburg. After all, the Walesburg transitional government is still being formed. Their first official action will be their Mayoral election. Stay tuned to the Chorus for continued coverage of the Walesburg secession.