The candidate field in Evanston’s mayoral race has grown to five, as Evanston lawyer and activist Jeff Smith announced this week that he plans to run.

Smith (WCAS, ’77) said he is currently circulating petitions and is looking to file as an independent later this month. Smith is the current vice president and former president of the Central Street Neighbors Association, and is on the board of Citizens’ Greener Evanston.

Smith said he decided to look into running after seeing none of the four candidates take a strong position on affordability issues in the city or environmental policy. The presidential election earlier this month further convinced him to start circulating petitions, he said.

“It’s extremely important after the recent president election that we have visionary leadership at the state and local level,” he said. “I’d like Evanston to be more sustainable, more affordable, a regional leader in finding out how government can work.”

Smith said he has lived in five of the city’s nine wards. He was on the ballot for an Illinois House seat in 2010 but was unsuccessful in his run.

He joins Ald. Brian Miller (9th), Ald. Mark Tendam (6th), as well as businessman Steve Hagerty and former Evanston Township supervisor Gary Gaspard in the candidate pool.

The elections will be held in April.

Correction: A previous version of this article said Smith was on the ballot for a 2012 Illinois House election. Smith ran and filed a petition to be on the ballot but withdrew his candidacy before the election. The Daily regrets the error.

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