Ethics duels punctuate 6th Ward race between Suffredin, Chow

Daily file photos by Shun Graves

Incumbent Ald. Tom Suffredin (6th) has criticized challenger Candance Chow for her leadership of the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education. In contrast, Chow has repeatedly alleged that Suffredin’s lobbying activities constitute a conflict of interest with his duties.

Isaiah Steinberg, Development and Recruitment Editor

March 4, 2025

The enmity between Ald. Tom Suffredin (6th) and Candance Chow — dueling candidates for Evanston’s 6th Ward — began with a press release.

It was Feb. 6. By that point, the battle lines had already been drawn. Early in the race, Suffredin, a two-term incumbent, had criticized Chow for her record on the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education.

By February, it was Chow’s turn to fight back.

Chow pulled no punches, describing Suffredin as a “walking conflict of interest.” Aside from his council duties, Suffredin works as a Springfield lobbyist. In the news release, Chow called for Evanston to ban elected officials and city employees from serving as lobbyists.

“We don’t know, at any given time, whether Tom’s votes and positions are his, (for) the people of Evanaton, for his clients or for those who are funding him,” Chow told The Daily.

On Feb. 24, Chow further condemned Suffredin’s principal profession, and the ethical impacts it could have on his decisions on City Council. In that mercurial missive, Chow tied Suffredin to the state’s “pay-to-play politics.”

Specifically, she highlighted the thousands of dollars in campaign donations Suffredin has received from fellow lobbyists. She also targeted Suffredin’s affirmative vote on a city contract with lobbying firm Drexwood Partners, founded by Michael Houlihan, who donated $250 to Suffredin’s campaign in 2017.

“I have followed the law and been completely transparent,” Suffredin told The Daily in a statement. “If any possible conflict arises, I recuse myself. That’s what I’ve done my entire career and what I’ll keep doing.”

At a Feb. 10 candidate forum, Suffredin challenged Chow to file an ethics complaint against him.

Ultimately, it was not Chow, but Evanston programmer Adam Finlayson, who did so.

Finlayson, a volunteer for Chow’s campaign, announced in a Monday news release that he filed an ethics complaint against Suffredin. The complaint alleges that Suffredin has failed to disclose multiple conflicts of interest related to campaign contributions and his Springfield lobbying work.

“I think Tom’s completely conflicted,” Chow said. “It’s not a specific incident. It’s an ongoing condition.”

Finlayson failed to file the ethics complaint within the requisite 30-day statute of limitations following an alleged violation. But in an email to The Daily, Finlayson said he hoped it would still be considered.

Yet years ago, Chow faced her own share of ethical scrutiny.

While running for Illinois’ 17th District state representative seat in 2018 — and while serving on the Evanston/Skokie District 65 board — Chow was investigated by the district because her campaign sent materials to a District 65 email account.

The district found that Chow’s actions violated its policy but did not recommend disciplinary action, calling her actions “merely careless” rather than malicious.

Meanwhile, Suffredin and his supporters have repeatedly lambasted Chow’s track record on the District 65 board. According to a news release by a coalition of District 65 community members, Chow played a role in selecting Superintendent Devon Horton, who Suffredin argues led the district into financial ruin.

“Her record speaks for itself: It consists of overspending, telling voters to raise their taxes to cover the overspending, hiring Devon Horton to run the district and then quitting,” Suffredin told The Daily in a statement. “She’s offered explanations and excuses — claiming she bears no responsibility for what happened at District 65. I don’t think that’s credible.”

Chow served on the District 65 board from 2013 to 2020, as finance chair for several years and as board president from 2016 to 2017.

Horton was hired in 2019. With Horton at the helm between 2020 and 2023, the district plummeted from a $7.1 million end-of-year surplus to a nearly $7.5 million operating deficit.

“She’s responsible for hiring Devon Horton and the chaos going on at D65 now,” Suffredin told The Daily in a statement. “She wants to distract voters from that.”

In an interview with The Daily, Chow defended her District 65 record. She said the district was financially stable when she resigned in February 2020 because of family circumstances. She has since criticized Horton’s leadership, claiming that he ignored her fiscal roadmap.

Suffredin previously criticized Chow’s relationship with Tracy Quattrocki, the publisher and executive editor of the Evanston RoundTable. Quattrocki co-founded the recruiting firm NextGroup with Chow and others in 2019. Chow went on to serve on the RoundTable’s advisory board from 2020 to 2024.

“There certainly isn’t any conflict of interest going on,” Chow said.

In a statement to The Daily, Suffredin said he is less concerned about Chow’s connection with the RoundTable as he was previously.

Chow also castigated Suffredin’s attendance at City Council meetings, particularly in 2022, when his in-person attendance dropped to 49%, according to Evanston Now. His term average stands at 74% — last place among sitting councilmembers by a narrow margin.

“Tom just isn’t doing the job that he’s elected to do,” Chow said.

As the adversaries prepare for the fast-approaching April 1 municipal election, they have each secured key endorsements from Evanston bigwigs.

Chow has been endorsed by former mayors Steve Hagerty and James Lytle; Alds. Krissie Harris (2nd) and Melissa Wynne (3rd); former District 65 Superintendent Paul Goren; and several former councilmembers.

“Candance’s commitment to Evanston is unwavering,” Hagerty told The Daily in a statement. “She collaborates well with people; she listens and engages productively on difficult issues. Tom on the other hand is one of the most unengaged members of the City Council, unless it’s election season.”

Goren also praised Chow in a statement to The Daily.

Suffredin’s supporters include the Chicago Federation of Labor, State Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) and several other labor unions.

Several of Suffredin’s backers did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.

Chow said the 6th Ward needs a councilmember who will provide regular updates and participate more actively in committees. Suffredin, meanwhile, told The Daily he consistently holds Evanston accountable to his constituents.

“I’m an advocate, and accountability and transparency matter to me,” Suffredin told The Daily in a statement. “I am not afraid of having the hard conversations, asking the difficult questions — because our community deserves answers.”

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— 6th Ward incumbent Suffredin refutes challenger Chow’s ‘conflict of interest’ claims

— 6th Ward challenger Candance Chow responds to D65 accountability demand