With politicians gearing up for November’s midterm elections, campaign volunteers and activists were in full force Friday at Evanston’s 93rd annual Fourth of July parade.

Sen. Dick Durbin, Gov. Pat Quinn, state reps. Laura Fine and Robyn Gabel, and State Sen. Daniel Biss, all Democrats up for re-election, attended the parade. The Democratic Party of Evanston also had a float. 

During the parade, individuals in campaign shirts surrounded the politicians’ vehicles to show their support for the candidates. Many of the volunteers were under the age of 25, with teenagers playing an active role.

Zach Urisman, 18, said he has attended the parade for five years with the Democratic Party of Evanston and its candidates. This year, he marched with state Rep. Laura Fine’s re-election campaign.

“I think that everybody here in the parade was able to see strong Democratic candidates who have the solution to problems that are absolutely imminent and facing the state of Illinois,” Urisman said. “This country is built upon the notion of free and open political debate, and I think that we witnessed that today by looking at this slate of candidates and seeing what they stand for.”

Others said they participated in the parade in order to raise political awareness.

Nancy Cardenas, 19, represented Saint Nicholas Parish during the parade and carried signs in both Spanish and English in an effort to encourage young adults to vote.

“Independence Day reminds me of how proud I am and how grateful I am to be an American,” Cardenas said. “I’ve come several times to the parade, but this time I came in and really became part of the parade, so I’m really lucky.”

Zeke Alexander Gillman, 18, who works as an intern for Rep. Jan Schakowsky, (D-Ill.), said in high school he encouraged individuals to get involved in the effort, “teaching them that yes, they can make a difference.”

“The best kind of constituency is one that is educated and knows their stuff and participates fully,” he said.

Alan Minoff, a Wilmette resident, said he supports Kathy Myalls, who is running as a Republican for the Illinois House of Representatives. Minoff said he believes Myalls can solve what he calls Illinois’ catastrophic political problems.

“The state of Illinois is the first in everything bad and the last in everything good,” he said.

Durbin, who serves as the No. 2 Senate Democrat and is seeking re-election in November, marched in the parade and shook hands with residents and the young workers on his campaign.

“Young people bring energy, idealism and commitment to issues, and most of them are volunteers,” he said. “So they really are an important part of the campaign organization. They keep candidates and older folks going because they bring all the energy.”

Maitreyi Anantharaman and Jacob Middlekauff are high school students attending the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute this summer.