Updated March 31, 8:05 p.m.
The NU PicKs Aldermanic forum began a few minutes ago in the McCormick Auditorium.
The First Ward candidates, Alderman Cheryl Wollin and local business owner Judy Fiske, are first up.
In her opening statements, Fiske addressed the issue of her legal challenge after the 2005 election, when she lost to Wollin by 80 votes and received far fewer votes from students. Fiske accused Wollin of conspiring with Northwestern to buy student votes through residential college points, but the case was thrown out by a federal court in 2006.
“My opponent will undoubtedly try to make an issue of my legal challenge in the 2005 election,” she said. “Please don’t let that distract you from the issues at hand.”
Wollin has not yet addressed the legal challenge, preferring to focus her statement on issues such as the Lake Front Master Plan.
When asked about student voting, Wollin finally hit Fiske on the previously mentioned lawsuit.
“Your lawsuit that you mentioned named 240 students by name,” she said. “I consider that intimidating to students.”
Fiske said the issue needed to be addressed.
“There was clearly something happening on the Northwestern campus that we had to look at.”
She then connected the issue to the 2000 and 2004 elections, and the 2008 senate election in Minnesota.
The Fifth Ward candidates spoke next.
In his opening statement, candidate Adrian Dortch focused on his personal story, detailing his professional experience and naming some things he wants for the ward. He specifically spoke against the Weston plan to build townhouses in the ward, claiming it will displace longtime residents.
“It is not a gentrification thing,” he said. “It’s a rich against poor thing.”
Ald. Delores Holmes (5th) focused on her experience and her reasons for being an Alderman.
“I’m not a politician,” she said. “I’m a public servant.”
Holmes said that students did not have to deal with abusive landlords.
“You have to know your rights,” she said. “You do not have to live like that.”
Dortch agreed, saying that Evanston should punish landlords who act as “slumlords.”
