Northwestern alum Jeff Smith (WCAS ’77) began circulating petitions Saturday in an effort to appear on the ballot for the 17th District’s Illinois House seat.
Smith’s campaigning comes two days after current 17th District state Rep. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) announced in an email he will seek Sen. Jeff Schoenberg’s soon-to-be vacant state Senate seat. To be listed on the ballot, Smith must collect between 500 and 1500 signatures by Dec. 5.
“I have a long-standing passion for public service and seeing that government serves the people,” said Smith, a decades-long Evanston resident. “You don’t always have a choice as to when opportunities open up.”
The Evanston-based attorney, also a Democratic Party of Evanston board member, said he has long been an “advocate for the citizens” who defends the rights of the average taxpayer.
“Everything from being an avid bicyclist to 10 years of helping coach boys and girls in local teams to serving as a scout leader has prepared me,” the Harvard Law School graduate said.
Larry Suffredin, Cook County commissioner, described Smith as a “tenacious” grassroots activist.
“He can be very much in your face on issues he feels passionate about, but he is not obnoxious,” Suffredin said. “He is tenacious, and that’s what I think you want in a member of the General Assembly. You want somebody who will fight for values.”
In 2010, Smith launched an unsuccessful bid for the 18th District state House seat before redistricting moved his home into the 17th District. He never advanced beyond the primary stage in the election.
The experience, however, puts Smith in a “good position” to turn to former campaign volunteers and secure their signatures for his petitions, Suffredin said.
Smith stressed the need for the Illinois legislature to enact widespread reform, citing the government’s mounting debt load and inequality in the school system.
The state is at risk of jeopardizing the future of many generations, he said.
“We need to put Illinois back in a state of fiscal health,” Smith said. “We need to reassure the voters that government is on their side and has their back. We’ve got to stop the cycle of taxpayers paying more and getting less for their dollars.”
Environmental concerns are also a signature component of his platform, Smith added. A board member of Citizens’ Greener Evanston, he said ensuring clean water and air for future generations is essential.
“There’s a lot of gorgeous resources in Illinois that need to be protected,” he said.
Smith was also president of the Central Street Neighbors Association from 2007 to 2009, during which he helped author the Central Street Master Plan Zoning that rezoned some commercial areas as business districts.
Deriving that plan was instrumental in learning how to “harmonize competing interests,” he said.
Jim Hughes, who has worked with Smith on boards for the Central Street Neighbors Association and the Evanston Public Library Friends, said Smith is skilled at compromising and considering alternative opinions.
“He’s just great at bringing people together,” Hughes said. “We need people with experience. I can’t think of a better candidate.”
Editor’s note: The headline of this article incorrectly stated which seat Smith is considering bidding for. It has since been change to correct the mistake. The Daily regrets the error.
