For this year’s candidate meet and greet, the Democratic Party of Evanston tried something new: In place of a structured speaker event, candidates set up tri-fold posters reminiscent of a science fair.
Roughly 35 candidates participated in Sunday’s meet and greet at the Unitarian Church of Evanston. Residents cycled between tables, eager to interact with the mayoral, aldermanic and school board candidates ahead of Evanston’s April 1 election.
“The thing that I love the most about Evanston is how passionate we are about the political process,” party Secretary Ryan Flynn said. “Everyone participates.”
Party President Kathy Hayes said she hopes the event allows residents to make informed decisions and feel excited to vote. The party, helmed by committeeman and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, dominates city politics.
She said the party made a deliberate effort to adjust the event’s format to facilitate conversation between residents and their potential representatives.
“People have suspicions and are leery about opening their door,” Hayes said. “People are cut off from vital information that they probably would ask if they were face to face. So the more communal we can make it, the better we think people will have responses and be more educated about who’s running.”
The party also decided not to endorse candidates, diverging from years past. In addition to the fact that a few members of the party board are running, Hayes said the Democratic parties in other municipalities do not typically endorse candidates.
Many candidates were excited by the opportunity to engage in direct conversation with the residents they are seeking to represent.
John Kennedy, who is running to represent the 3rd Ward on City Council, said it was nice to meet people through a more formal gathering, as opposed to door knocking. Other candidates expressed similar sentiments.
“I’m here to learn,” said Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education candidate Brandon Utter. “I’m here to talk to people. I’m here to see what the public thinks about District 65 and what they think would help.”
Some attendees, like 2nd Ward resident Joanne Zolomij, said they had already met their aldermanic representatives and came seeking information on the District 65 candidates.
Leigh Bailey, a resident of the 1st Ward, said she moved to Evanston just three years ago and attended the event to learn more about the city’s political climate.
“We’re new residents of Evanston and so everything is pretty new and it’s very interesting,” Bailey said. “We’ve always been involved in politics, and it’s very interesting to find out about our board, so this is a wonderful education.”
Many candidates voiced their optimism ahead of the election. In particular, mayoral challenger Jeff Boarini said he felt he was “gaining traction” and was eager to continue telling his story.
Reflecting on the event, Hayes said it was vital to counteract the community’s political concern, bred in large part by the outcome of the recent presidential election.
“We understand that democracy starts at the grassroots,” Hayes said. “This is as grassroots as it gets.”
Email: sophiebaker2028@u.northwestern.edu
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