ASG, City Council and Illinois officials, oh my! The function and composition of on- and off-campus politics may seem daunting at first, so here’s a guide to help you learn who represents you in good ol’ Evanston.

Northwestern Associated Student Government

Executive Office
Izzy Dobbel, Student Body President
SESP senior Izzy Dobbel, who ran uncontested last spring, is tasked with leading the ASG executive board and working as the chief lobbyist for students when meeting with administrators. According to the ASG website, she hopes to use her position to emphasize self-care in ASG and throughout the Northwestern student population. She and Executive Vice President Adam Davies also plan to work with New Student and Family Programs to create a mentorship program connecting new students with older peers in their major, and a survey that connects students with groups around campus based on student interests and identities.

Adam Davies, Executive Vice President
SESP senior Adam Davies, who ran on the ticket with Dobbel, is in charge of overseeing the ASG cabinet leaders and executing the presidential agenda. Davies and Dobbel ran on a campaign promise of increasing “justice” for marginalized students, with major long-term goals to allocate spaces to various groups, especially identity-based groups, around campus and create a University-recognized “student hiring and firing committee” that could make recommendations regarding faculty.

Henry Molnar, Chief of Staff
Weinberg senior Henry Molnar is responsible for facilitating the completion of the executive board’s term initiatives, working with the treasurer to oversee the finances and chairing numerous non-standing committees in the organization, such as the ACIR Selection Committee. According to the ASG website, Molnar intends to work on implementing mental health sick days and improving ASG’s internal infrastructure and interactions with the greater student body.

Soteria Reid, Executive Officer of Justice and Inclusion
SESP junior Soteria Reid is tasked with ensuring that ASG is “an inclusive place for all” by facilitating workshop sessions within executive board meetings, leading a team of representatives who oversee inclusion efforts in the standing ASG committees and aiding student organizations associated with diversity and inclusion efforts. According to the ASG website, Reid wants to help build advocacy capacity within ASG and on campus.

Senators
There are 19 undergraduate school representatives, 20 student group representatives and nine Greek organization representatives. According to the ASG code, any member of the student body is able to write legislation as long as they have it sponsored by a senator who can present it to the Senate for approval. There will also be elections for senators representing undergraduate schools on October 10-11, with information on how to run coming out in late September.

City Officials

Mayor and City Council
The Evanston City Council is comprised of nine aldermen, one representing each of the city’s wards: Judy Fiske (1st), Peter Braithwaite (2nd), Melissa Wynne (3rd), Donald Wilson (4th), Robin Rue Simmons (5th), Thomas Suffredin (6th), Eleanor Revelle (7th), Ann Rainey (8th) and Cicely Fleming (9th). Overseen by Mayor Steve Hagerty, the council’s 2019-2020 goals include expanding affordable housing options and ensuring equity in all city operations.

State and Federal Officials

State Officials
J.B. Pritzker, Governor
Since defeating Republican incumbent Bruce Rauner last November and taking office this January, Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed a bill setting the state’s minimum wage on a path to reach $15 per hour by 2025, backed a bill that will legalize recreational marijuana use in Illinois on Jan. 1, 2020 and signed a package of legislation enhancing protection for immigrant families in Illinois.

Federal Officials
Jan Schakowsky, U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) represents the 9th district of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives and serves in the House Democratic Leadership as a Senior Chief Deputy Whip. A leader in passing the Affordable Care Act, Schakowsky currently focuses on healthcare and senior issues in Congress. She also recently voted to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Dick Durbin, U.S. Senator
Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is the senior U.S. Senator for Illinois and serves as the Democratic Whip. He sits on the Senate Judiciary, Appropriations, Agriculture, and Rules Committees. Recently, Durbin proposed a new bill to expand marijuana research — if it goes into effect, marijuana would be reclassified as a Schedule III controlled substance.

Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Senator
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is the junior U.S. Senator for Illinois and an Iraq war veteran. She serves on the Armed Services, Environment and Public Works, Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committees. Duckworth has passed legislation supporting Illinois infrastructure and veteran small business owners.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @daisy_conant