Nearly three action-packed years have passed since Sebastian Nalls ran for Evanston mayor as a college student.
Since then, residents unsuccessfully pushed for the city to nix Northwestern’s plan to host concerts at a rebuilt Ryan Field. Stadium litigation began, and an activist started an effort to oust Nalls’ 2021 opponent Mayor Daniel Biss. And Nalls himself has taken charge of a city accountability group, Community Alliance for Better Government.
As the city enters a new year, Nalls said he wants residents to get more involved in their government beyond controversies like Ryan Field. He spoke to The Daily about his goals for the accountability group and recounted Biss’ landslide victory in 2021.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
The Daily: Did you expect the 2021 election to go the way it turned out, both in terms of the results and your experience?
Nalls: I had never worked on a campaign before. I had no campaign apparatus outside of the volunteers who were assisting me. I was the first person to jump into the race. A lot of people really questioned, “Why did you go up against Daniel Biss?” And I’m like, look, I had already been in the race for a couple of months at this point. I’m in it, and I’m here to do the work.
I knew it was going to be an uphill battle. But my job was to get in front of as many people as I possibly could and ultimately craft policy that would positively impact people’s lives.
The Daily: Would you say that a large part of your activism is making policies and discussions more accessible to people?
Nalls: There were a whole lot of residents who didn’t know how city government worked, didn’t know how it functioned and didn’t know who their elected official was. They had all these problems that they felt were impacting them on a local level but didn’t know who to go to or didn’t know where to turn to.
That’s why an organization such as Community Alliance for Better Government drew my attention so much. This is an organization that I want to put my time, effort and energy into because we do a lot of work making that accessible for more people.
The Daily: What is the main objective of the group?
Nalls: The organization itself was founded on the idea of transparency and equity in local government. That’s something that we have aspired to achieve throughout that process, whether that is looking at the individual components of city government — how we go about our daily lives and how city government works for the city of Evanston and its residents. And to larger scale issues too, such as Ryan Field. We’ve touched a lot on affordable housing.
The Daily: With Ryan Field, Biss ultimately decided to go forward with the plan for NU to host concerts. What kind of taste did that leave in residents’ mouths?
Nalls: It stung for a lot of folks. … As the mayor, you have to be the steward of the city. You are the city’s representative. That includes not only representing citizens in an outward-facing manner but taking time to listen to their thoughts and concerns. And then, adequately addressing those thoughts and concerns.
The Daily: Are you considering any run for City Council or mayor?
Nalls: I always tell people I keep my options open. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen within the next year. The only reason that I was able to run for mayor of Evanston was because of a global pandemic. Otherwise, I would have been at school, and I wouldn’t have been able to run. Sometimes, there’s a time and place, and there’s a calling for it.
Between now and then, again, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen. But I will always continually try to make sure that I’m pushing for things that will be beneficial and positive for Evanston residents, and that includes working with this current City Council.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Most Livable City Association files complaint, asks Cook County to invalidate Ryan Field rezoning
— ‘A generational investment’: Mayor Biss explains his ‘yes’ vote on Ryan Field
— Residents criticize Ryan Field community benefits agreement, call for Council to delay decision
