A candidate for 6th Ward alderman of the DeKalb City Council will have to overcome the trials of his past in order to win this year’s upcoming election.

Candidate Kevin “K.O.” Johnson, a senior marketing major at NIU, was criminally charged in 1988 with domestic battery, along with incidents of violating orders of protection concerning his former wife.

“My divorce was messy,” Johnson said, in an attempt to explain his side of the story. Johnson expressed anguish because his divorce and his criminal charges led to the total loss of visitation rights to his only daughter.

He now belongs to Fathers and Children Together Successfully in DeKalb, which represents fathers who lose their children unjustly because of divorce.

Johnson also told of his desire to put the events of an unhappy relationship in his past and begin concentrating on what he has to offer the future of DeKalb.

The student-dominated 6th Ward in which Johnson is running includes Lincoln, Neptune and Gilbert Residence Halls as well as some off-campus apartments.

Johnson will be pitted against independent candidates Brad Strauss, a senior political science major, and Eric Grice, a sophomore finance major. He will have to overcome his personal trials in order to successfully run against these two candidates.

Johnson, who has lived in DeKalb for seven years, said, “I think I’m the best candidate because my heart has the long-term interests of DeKalb.”

After finishing his undergraduate studies, Johnson said he plans to attend the NIU College of Law and eventually practice law in DeKalb after graduation.

“I plan on placing an emphasis on family law because of my divorce. So many people are not represented at all because of lack of money,” Johnson said.

He said he plans to remain a permanent resident of DeKalb and criticizes his opponents for not coming from DeKalb. “One of the key areas that I’m concerned with is the long-term interests of DeKalb, not a long-term interest in my resume,” he said.

Johnson said if students want someone to represent the university, they need someone who can work with the other members of the city council.

“We have to be able to work as a team, and my long-term interests in DeKalb extend to my long-term interests of NIU,” he said.

NIU needs someone to represent them who won’t fight with the city council, he added.