SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Springfield's city council has rejected the mayor's nominee to fill a vacant council seat. 

The appointment of Mayor Jim Langfelder's Ward 3 nominee, Roy Williams Jr., was denied in a 6-3 vote. According to our news partners at WTAX Radio, city council wanted Williams to promise he would not run in 2023 in order to avoid gaining and advantage handed to him by the mayor and council. 

The Ward 3 seat, which was previously occupied by Doris Turner, is still vacant. Turner left the seat to fill an Illinois senator seat left open by Andy Manar, who stepped down to become a senior advisor for Gov. JB Pritzker. 

Williams was one of nine people to apply for the vacant city council seat. In his support of Williams, Langfelder said the nominee was "very engaged with Ward 3 and throughout the community on different fronts."Â