On February 1st, Decatur resident Abby Wilder declared her candidacy for city council in Decatur for District 3 as a republican.
“My #1 passion is to encourage and empower those around me,” says Wilder, who lists herself as a mother, a wife and a cradle Catholic. “My Catholic faith and family have instilled in me the desire to give back to my community by serving with my God-given talents.”
Those talents have led Wilder to a career in service to the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, where she serves as the executive assistant to Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades.
Although it is her first attempt at running for elected office, Wilder feels her work history at St. Mary’s church in Decatur, along with her time at Thrivent Financial and Lincoln Financial Group, prepares her for a role focusing on people and advocating for them.
“I have learned that with a little bit of mutual encouragement and support,” she says, “we can all use our God-given gifts to lift each other up and accomplish a lot more together than any of us could on our own.”
Wilder considers herself an admirer of the history of the city where she has lived.
“Our founder, Samuel Rugg, chose the name of our city after his naval hero, Stephen Decatur,” she says. “You’ll recognize the nod to Decatur in the mascot of the Commodores from Decatur Catholic and now St. Joseph Catholic School. We are all interconnected in our city, a diverse pool of talents and ideas.”
Like others in the field of candidates, Wilder sees housing and economic development as important areas of focus for her hopeful first term.
“I would like to see the cultivation of Decatur’s housing opportunities and a focus on relevant business and economic growth. I would like to position Decatur for sustainability with future generations who want to see our city flourish, by offering resources to strengthen marriages.”
Wilder will face incumbent Craig Coshow in the primary in her district for city council in the election on Tuesday, May 2nd.
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