Ald. Krissie Harris leads in the 2nd Ward councilmember race over challengers Darlene Cannon and Jacqueline Mendoza, according to preliminary results from the Cook County Clerk’s office as of 11 p.m.
With all precincts reporting, Cannon and Mendoza hold 483 and 343 votes respectively, while Harris has 793 votes. Results will be finalized at a later date, as mail-in ballots postmarked before April 1 must be counted.
Tuesday night, Harris told The Daily she was pleased with the results and the work she put into the campaign, which will start her first full term as a councilmember.
For her next term, Harris said she feels more caught up with the legislative experience in council. She said her next goal in council would be to form partnerships with different agencies to stabilize the city in light of national funding cuts.
“I can build bridges, and that’s the most important thing right now, right here in this national world where people aren’t getting along and nothing’s getting done,” Harris said.
Harris was first appointed to City Council in 2022 following the resignation of Peter Braithwaite. She was then formally elected to office in 2023, winning 754 votes, around 54% of the vote.
Outside of the council, Harris works as Oakton College’s senior manager of student life and campus inclusion. She holds a trustee role in the Second Baptist Church and is a member of Evanston’s branch of the NAACP.
Harris previously told The Daily that her reelection campaign is a continuation of her duty to listen to residents’ concerns and engage with the Evanston community in events beyond the 2nd Ward.
The latest election was a rematch between Harris and Cannon, a community activist and Medicare consultant, who has campaigned for the 2nd Ward seat twice before in 2021 and 2023. Cannon previously chaired Evanston’s Equity and Empowerment Commission and organized nonprofits in the community.
The Daily could not reach Cannon for comment on Tuesday night.
Mendoza, a first-time council candidate and a facilities supervisor for the city, also serves the public through her membership in multiple community organizations.
Mendoza campaigned on a resident-guided approach to local issues, including rezoning. Both Mendoza and Cannon built campaigns centered on raising residents’ concerns over issues like housing affordability, accessibility and keeping property taxes low.
Although both challengers are lagging as of Tuesday night, Mendoza told The Daily that the combined support behind her and Cannon, which totaled 51.02% of the vote, signals a desire for change in the 2nd Ward.
“I’m happy and looking forward to working with Harris and seeing if we can bring some of those ideas to the table and bring the vision of the 2nd Ward to council.”
The support for collaboration was shared by Harris herself.
After thanking her voters, Harris told The Daily she is always open to listening to residents no matter who they voted for.
“I can take a little bit of your ideas with my ideas and other people’s ideas and create this masterpiece,” Harris said.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available
Email: MarisaGuerraEcheverria2027@u.northwestern.edu
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