Ninth Ward aldermanic candidate Mimi Peterson is up and swimming at 5:30 weekday mornings.

Before she goes door to door meeting constituents, attends Evanston City Council meetings, and drops her three children off at school, Peterson, 41, tries to take an hour for herself.

"I’m stretched really thin during these months before the election," she said. "The exercise sustains my energy for the day."

Peterson, who has swum since childhood and has been an Evanston McGaw YMCA swim instructor for 11 years, will need plenty of energy to juggle her family and her campaign for the April 5 aldermanic elections.

For Peterson, campaigning has been more demanding than a full-time job, consuming at least 80 hours each week. Ald. Gene Feldman (9th) will be retiring after 18 years, and Peterson is one of two candidates vying for his seat.

Peterson isn’t a stranger to the demands of city politics. She is hoping to make a comeback after losing the 2001 election for Fourth Ward alderman.

"I want to be part of this exciting time," she said. "A lot of seasoned members are retiring from the council, which gives me more opportunity to make real change."

Born in Chicago and raised in Evanston, Peterson is married to local business owner Bob Peterson.

She graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1980 and received a liberal arts degree from Oakton Community College in 1993.

She said she has watched the transformations in downtown Evanston over the years and knows city politics first hand.

"This is my home and I love it," she said.

Peterson is focused on creating an agreement between the university and Evanston, an idea that came after NU’s controversial purchased of the 1800 Sherman Avenue building.

"There needs to be a binding agreement used as a model for the future," Peterson said.

She also wants to tackle issues like tougher zoning laws and lower taxes for Evanston families in her campaign.

"All these development projects have become overwhelming," she said. "I want to balance the quality of life and expand the tax breaks."

Peterson also said she wants to enhance the Robert Crown Center, 1701 Main St., and improve public safety.

Peterson has been involved in Evanston issues since the late 1990s. She said her first encounter with the council concerned the safety of her neighborhood. In addition to speaking with the council, she became a member of the Police Advisory Board and collaborated with the Evanston Police Department to set higher safety standards for her neighborhood.

In 2000, Peterson founded and served as the co-chair of the Fair Share Action Committee, a group of residents that pushed for monetary contributions from NU to the city.

As an activist and co-founder of To Rescue Evanston Elms, Peterson advocates a public vaccination program to save trees from Dutch Elm disease. She has often appeared at city council meetings to address issues during citizen comment periods or to talk privately with aldermen.

Ninth Ward resident Louise Howe, who has lived in Evanston for seven years, said she was impressed by Peterson’s dedication to improving the standard of living in her community.

"She really cares about us and Evanston," Howe said.

The council needs a new face to represent the Ninth Ward, said resident John Breither, who attended Peterson’s campaign kickoff party Sunday. Breither, an Evanston native, said Feldman has served the ward well during his years on the council, but the ward needs a new alderman who will bring immediate changes.

"She’s a very outspoken person and well informed," he said. "Her activism with the trees shows she has the potential to do so much more."

Reach Stephanie Chen at [email protected].