BRIDGEPORT — John Kozlar, the law school student credited with the remarkable turnaround of a youth baseball league, will again run for alderman of the vaunted 11th Ward.
Kozlar, 25, of Bridgeport, announced his candidacy late Tuesday via Facebook.
"From being a lifelong resident of Bridgeport, to my years involved in the amazing Canaryville Little League, and throughout my 2011 aldermanic campaign, I have learned a lot about our community," he wrote.
"I learned and witnessed firsthand that when everyone comes together as one, great things can be accomplished. I also learned that there are many good, hard-working people in the 11th Ward who are willing and eager to make our community a better place, thereby instilling endless possibilities for development throughout our neighborhoods."
Kozlar said he'll be sending out more information on his campaign in the coming weeks and months.
It's unclear who he'll be running against.
Ald. James Balcer has not yet indicated whether he'll seek another term, prompting speculation from the neighborhood's many armchair political observers to believe Patrick Daley Thompson, a relative of the Bridgeport political dynasty, is getting groomed for the gig.
Thompson, who shares office space with Balcer and Cook County Commissioner John Daley in the 11th Ward headquarters, currently serves as a commissioner with the Chicago Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. He lives in former Mayor Richard J. Daley's Bridgeport home.
Balcer and Thompson could immediately be reached for comment.
Kozlar ran against the incumbent Balcer in the 2011 aldermanic election, garnering 22 percent of the vote. It wasn't nearly enough to top the veteran alderman, but it was enough to edge out Republican candidate Carl Segvich.
The election will be Feb. 24, 2015.
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