Coroner Davis announces re-election campaign

Posted on October 11, 2015

*Davis served as the County Coroner during the tragic plane crash on Apr. 6. (WJBC File Photo)*

By Andy Dahn

BLOOMINGTON – Current McLean County Coroner Kathy Davis has announced her re-election campaign.

Davis was appointed to the position in November of 2014, replacing former Coroner Beth Kimmerling. Davis said waiting to announce names of victims is a tough part of the job, but respect for family members is one of her top priorities.

“There have been many cases out there where improper identification has happened,” Davis said. “It ultimately is just a horror for the family to realize that one child is dead instead of the other, and we don’t want that to happen. The reason we hold names is because there is more information that we can obtain and we’re working with the families. Then we release the information as soon as possible.”

Davis said she hopes to be able to build off of her work as County Coroner and do more for the community.

“I want to look at what we could do to give the families comfort and to give a voice to those who have been injured or lost their voice,” said Davis. “I also want to see what we can learn from the deaths and how we can avoid them.”

Davis has worked in the medical field for 19 years and has also taught nursing students at Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University. She added that community outreach, such as educating local college students about the dangers of drinking and driving, can help prevent deaths in the community.

The primary for the upcoming election is Mar. 15. Davis is currently the only candidate on the ballot.

Andy Dahn can be reached at [email protected].

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