While several Evanston wards are gearing up for competitive City Council races this spring, Ald. Juan Geracaris (9th) will run unopposed — in stride.
“The fact that no one is running against me, I’m taking that as a vote of confidence from my constituents,” Geracaris said.
Mayor Daniel Biss appointed Geracaris to City Council in 2022, and the alderman was then reelected in a 2023 special election. Geracaris said he was “flattered” upon learning he lacks a challenger this year.
He now plans to go door-to-door, introducing himself to 9th Ward residents following Evanston’s 2023 redistricting process. Geracaris said he believes most voters are “appreciative” of his work and plans to continue focusing on issues like affordable housing and sustainability.
Meanwhile, Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) faces a write-in challenger, 4th Ward resident Margaret “Meg” Welch.
Nieuwsma said while he welcomes opposition, the absence of a challenger on the ballot speaks to his effectiveness as a council member.
“Some older council members reminded me that running unopposed is, in and of itself, validation of my work,” he said. “If no one steps up to challenge my candidacy, it means the community at large thinks I’m doing a good job.”
Nieuwsma challenged an incumbent council member who had run unopposed “a couple of times” when he was first elected in 2021. Compared to his predecessor, Nieuwsma said he has strived to build more personal connections with his constituents.
Nieuwsma said he has hosted 41 ward meetings since taking office, in addition to monthly office hours where he converses with constituents at a local coffee shop. He said his lack of a formal challenger will allow him to focus on serving the needs of 4th Ward residents.
“When the filing period to get on the ballot closed without a challenger materializing, I felt good,” Nieuwsma said. “I thought, ‘Hey, rather than stressing out about keeping this job over the next four months, I can continue focusing on actually doing it.’”
Nieuwsma said he still plans to attend this year’s candidate forums and complete questionnaires distributed by interest groups.
Meanwhile, Welch, who works for the Social Security Administration, said she declined to gather signatures to secure an official spot on April’s ballot due to legal concerns about the Hatch Act, which restricts the political activities of federal employees. However, after the Democratic Party of Evanston declined to endorse a candidate in the nonpartisan race, she launched a write-in campaign.
Welch similarly plans to attend candidate forums and pointed to the success of other write-in campaigns as proof of her electoral viability. She rejects the notion that Nieuwsma’s lack of an official challenger represents a validation of his work.
“Unopposed incumbents tend to believe they have a mandate, and that is one reason I’m running. It’s important to provide an alternative point of view,” Welch said. “Part of holding our elected officials accountable is having candidates that challenge their reelection campaigns.”
Welch said she has observed a “top-down” approach to governing in Evanston, where decisions are made without sufficient input from the community.
Specifically, Welch criticized what she called “faux progressive” reforms, arguing that while many Evanston residents are rightfully concerned about issues like climate change, her opposition to some proposals is warranted. She called for a more “thoughtful” progressivism and a results-driven approach.
“Not all that glitters is gold when it comes to achieving the progressive goals Evanston is known for,” Welch said. “There’s still work that needs to be done.”
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