In the April 6th general election for city clerk, both Stephanie Mendoza and write-in candidate Cynthia Beebe (Weinberg ’81, Medill ’83) will be on the ballot.

Though Mendoza was the only candidate listed in the Feb. 23 primary election — and came in first with 7,567 votes — Beebe received more than five percent of the total votes cast, granting her candidacy under Evanston’s non-partisan system.

“I was delighted, I was thrilled, but I was also kind of amazed,” Beebe said about her initial reaction to finding out she was the top write-in vote getter with 1,071 votes. She attributes her success to the help of family, friends and a “really good campaign committee.”

Beebe, a longtime Evanston resident, was one of the first female agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and recently published a memoir on the experience. 8th Ward aldermanic candidate Devon Reid referred to her as “a glass ceiling breaker.”

On her campaign website, Beebe said if elected she will increase voter registration and turnout, ensure Evanston business records are well-managed and help residents understand how to effectively submit a Freedom of Information Act request.

Beebe also emphasized the importance of professional leadership amid the financial, social and personal stresses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mendoza, currently the director of community outreach for Evanston Latinos, said she hopes more residents vote in April, adding “the best way to be heard is to turn out.”

Mendoza’s platform includes increasing access to technology in partnership with institutions like the Evanston Public Library, ensuring the digitization of all past city records and raising public awareness about Illinois’ Open Meetings Act, which requires meetings of public bodies to remain open to the public unless otherwise specified.

Ahead of April’s election, Mendoza said it is important for residents to know there will not be a mail-in ballot drop box at the Civic Center. Residents planning to drop off their ballots must do so at the Skokie Courthouse, she added.

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @JorjaSiemons

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— City clerk candidates emphasize transparency, accountability in forum