Ludvigsen returns to Prospect Heights council, this time as the mayor

When former Alderman Patrick Ludvigsen resigned his 4th Ward seat on the Prospect Heights City Council in 2020, he noted that he was leaving public service "for now."

It turned out to be a prescient statement from Ludvigsen, who on Monday night was sworn in as the city's new mayor.

Ludvigsen won election April 4 in an uncontested race, putting him back on the council where he spent 17 years as an alderman before stepping down in November 2020 because he was moving out of the 4th Ward.

The mayor's office won't be completely foreign for Ludvigsen. He served several months as acting mayor following the 2007 resignation of Mayor Rodney Pace.

Ludvigsen replaces Nick Helmer, who died in January 2022, in the midst of his third term as the city's top elected official.

Fifth Ward Alderman Matt Dolick has been serving as acting mayor since Helmer's death.