Shallen Gross (Mayor of Mendota, Illinois, candidate 2025)

Shallen Gross

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Independent

Candidate, Mayor of Mendota

Elections and appointments

Last election

April 1, 2025

Education

High school

Mendota High School

Other

Illinois Valley Community College, 2008

Personal

Birthplace

Mendota, Ill.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Actress

Contact

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Shallen Gross (independent) ran for election to the Mayor of Mendota in Illinois. She was on the ballot in the general election on April 1, 2025.^[source]

Gross completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Shallen Gross provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on March 11, 2025:

• Birth date: January 17, 1980
• Birth place: Mendota, Illinois
• High school: Mendota Highschool and Homeschool
• Other: Illinois Valley Community College, 2008
• Gender: Female
• Religion: Christian
• Profession: Actress
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Room for the new and improved.

Elections

General election

General election for Mayor of Mendota

David W. Boelk and Shallen Gross ran in the general election for Mayor of Mendota on April 1, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	David W. Boelk (Independent)
	Submit photo	Shallen Gross (Independent)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Gross in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Shallen Gross completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gross' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Lifelong resident of Mendota, IL 61342, nurse, Ordained Christian Minister, Vegan Gaia Model, Bartender at Bower’s Corner Tavern, and Acreess/Performing Artist

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Safety and Security
• Health and wellbeing
• Fun and recreational aka room for the new or improved

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

All

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Hillary and Bill Clinton. I wrote them a letter at age 13 and they forwarded it to the justice department to provide me with the best answer.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Too many to announce

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Ability to be fair and just, listening attentively and the ability to foresee a picture for the picture and the potential that is or will be different. Ability to prevent stagnancy.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Amicable with everyone, have a live for leadership and democracy and live to be available to offer assistance

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Helping the citizens to regard their full potential

What legacy would you like to leave?

Something great for the generations to come. I hope it’s an inspiration to be kind to all and do what it takes to show your spirit and love yourself as much as you love others. Do great and know that if you smile at the world, it will smile back at you too.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Voting as a women.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

A waitress at Patty’s cafe, right here inside of Mendota, IL 61342

What is your favorite book? Why?

Alien Encyclopedia and because I’m a big alien believer

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Sigourney Weaver from Avatar

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I got friends in low places

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Economic development due to outside family sources and their disease process

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

I welcome this in every way shape or fashion. I am up for the challenge and prefer to offer a multitude of B opportunities to lead with you as well as for you.

If the mayor in your city is a member of the city council and there's a city manager appointed to handle the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe should be the mayor's top priority in office?

N/A

If the mayor in your city is not a member of the city council and oversees the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor and city council?

Working together and forming things for the greater good of the city.

What do you love most about your city?

The history behind it is one thing, but it’s our city and it’s very beautiful…there’s an irresistible atmosphere to grow old here. It’s small and very quaint and we all do our best to make it amazing.

What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Safety and town growth.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the state government?

Cooperation and partnerships

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the federal government?

Cooperation and partnerships

Tell us your favorite joke.

Two nuts were walking through the park and one was …a salted!

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor's office and law enforcement?

Cooperation and partnerships, also respect for one another

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Good party.org Democrats for Illinois

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

We are all accountable

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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