Incumbent Stephanie Mendoza appears to have won her reelection bid for Evanston city clerk with 13,675 votes out of 16,857 ballots cast, according to unofficial results from the Cook County Clerk’s office as of 11 p.m.
Mendoza faced off against write-in candidate Vanessa Johnson-McCoy, a real estate broker and self-employed consultant. Both candidates emphasized the need for accessible public documents and civic engagement initiatives.
In a statement to The Daily, Mendoza expressed gratitude for her supporters and praised Johnson-McCoy’s campaign for being “strong and thoughtful.”
“I deeply appreciate the way she conducted a clean and community-focused race, reflecting the values we all strive to uphold in Evanston,” Mendoza wrote.
The Cook County Clerk office’s unofficial count does not tabulate write-in votes.
On her campaign website, Mendoza touted her efforts to digitize public records and make city documents more accessible. She wrote that her office would continue prioritizing “timely, professional, and accessible support” for residents, including in different languages.
In a questionnaire with the Evanston RoundTable, Mendoza called on the city to hire a full-time officer handling Freedom of Information Act requests for public records.
Johnson-McCoy wrote on her website that her campaign similarly prioritized “accessibility, accountability and an unwavering commitment to inclusion.” She told The Daily that she wanted to draw attention to vacancies on local boards, committees and commissions.
“Hopefully, whoever’s the new mayor and clerk will work together to get some of those vacancies filled so that they can be representative of all of Evanston,” Johnson-McCoy said.
Mendoza said she looked forward to working with Johnson-McCoy on the issues she raised in her campaign. Mendoza added that local boards and committees were “essential to our city’s growth.”
Residents elected Mendoza to her first term in 2021 with more than 70% of the vote.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.
Email: e.cruz@dailynorthwestern.com
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— A guide to voting in Evanston’s April 1 local consolidated elections
— Evanston City Clerk Stephanie Mendoza prioritizes language accessibility
— Mendoza appears to win over 70 percent of city clerk votes; write-in candidates wait
