Political Career
Schwiebert first ran for political office when he entered the February Municipal Primary for Rock Island City Council. He won the nomination for one of the three open seats on the City Council. Schwiebert ran a door to door grassroots campaignsource needed. After a month of hard work campaign Schwiebert and his small but well organized staff brought him to victory. He came out of obscurity to becoming one of the largest vote getters in Rock Island History. Out of the three seats up for election he came first place defeating three well known incumbents.
In November 1984 the City of Rock Island passed a referendum having City Alderman run for office in individual wards and have staggered elections. In April 1985 Alderman Schwiebert became the first 6th Ward Alderman defeating Rock Island High School English Teacher Earl Strupp by a 2-1 margin. In 1987 Alderman Schwiebert was reelected to a third term in the city council defeating his challenger by a slimmer margin than in 1985. Schwiebert has now made a name for himself as a winner and in 1988 declared his candidacy for Rock Island City Mayor.
He won the February 1989 primary defeating his nearest challenger 43% to 18% of the official vote. In his only contested primary for Mayor Schwiebert was the top vote getter easily defeating four other well known contestants including two Alderman, a County Board Representative, and the City Clerk. He then went on to win the April general election by the largest victory ever achieved by a first term mayor in Rock Island. Defeating 1st Ward Alderman James Kerr 72% to 28% of the vote. He went on to four more overwhelming victories in 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005 never once falling below 82% of the vote. In September, 2008, he announced that he will not seek reelection in 2009.
It has been rumored for years that the Mayor had intentions for running for U.S. House. In March 2006 when U.S. Representative Lane Evans announced his retirement Mayor Schwiebert was the second candidate to declare his candidacy to succeed the Congressman. Schwiebert said that due to his close work with the Congressman and his determination to fight to keep the Rock Island Arsenal open he was among the best choices to succeed Evans. In a series of debates and forums Schwiebert made mention to his great five terms as Mayor stating that the city made progress in re-development and other ecomimic and social issues. However he failed to gain the support needed to secure the Democratic nomination and came a distant third place in the voting.
Throughout his 20 years as Mayor of Rock Island Schwiebert won numerous awards and recognitions. He won the Spiritual Aims Award; Rock Island Noon Jaycees in 1989; Lay Person of the Year; Iowa-Illinois District Kiwanis, 1989; Distinguished Service Awards; Rock Island Jaycees, 1990; Illinois Quad Cities Chamber of Commerece, 1990; fel Paul Harris, Rock Island Rotary, 1992. He is a member of the Illinois and Rock Island County Bar Association; Quad City Develop Group and the BiState Regional Committee.
Read more about this topic: Mark Schwiebert
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