Michael Thelen will challenge incumbent John Link for Edgewood’s mayoral seat in November. Thelen has run against Link in the past but has lost at the ballot box.
Thelen is a lifelong resident of Edgewood. He has a B.A. in business from Thomas More University and a master’s in safety management from West Virginia University. He volunteered for the Edgewood Fire/EMS departments for about 20 years.
While he said he respected the current mayor’s long tenure and experience, “Edgewood’s governance has grown passive,” Thelen said. “It is time for a new generation of leadership—backed by professional safety and business expertise—that takes the oath of office seriously, values public input and decisively enforces the law.”
Thelen pointed to increasing traffic violation enforcement, mitigating sidewalk hazards, such as e-bikes, reducing city staff turnover and getting rid of the city’s Flock cameras as policy priorities.
“I take the oath of office seriously,” Thelen said. “I guarantee that I will be an active, visible chief executive officer who properly enforces our city ordinances and state laws to keep our neighborhoods safe, walkable and law-abiding.
“Edgewood has the financial solvency to be the best-run city in the commonwealth. Now, it just needs the leadership to match.”
Thelen said he would be happy to take calls from residents. You can reach him at (859) 802-5023.