Evanston may see three new councilmembers after Tuesday’s elections, based on preliminary results from the Cook County Clerk’s office. With Ald. Juan Geracaris (9th) running unopposed, eight seats were up for a vote April 1.
Official election results are not yet available. According to data from the clerk’s office shared by the Evanston RoundTable, about 10,000 mail-in ballots were issued in Evanston, and 4,324 were returned by April 1. Since then, vote counts have begun to climb as ballots are counted. All ballots postmarked on or before April 1 must be counted before results are finalized.
The 3rd and 7th ward seats are guaranteed to be filled by newcomers.
Shawn Iles appears to have pulled ahead in the 3rd Ward race, with 888 votes, or 38% of the vote. In a three-candidate struggle to fill the seat left by Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd), Iles leads Gennifer Geer and John Kennedy. Geer and Kennedy received 730 and 717 votes, respectively.
On Tuesday night, Iles told The Daily he was excited and “a little humbled” by the results. Kennedy confirmed that he called Iles to concede Tuesday night. The day after the election, Geer posted to her campaign Facebook profile to conclude her campaign.
Parielle Davis has claimed victory in the 7th Ward race over Kerry Mundy, who was endorsed by current Ald. Eleanor Revelle (7th) after Revelle announced she would not seek reelection.
“This was truly a grassroots campaign — fueled by small donations and the involvement of passionate, committed volunteers,” Davis said in a news release the day after the election.
Clerk’s office data shows Davis ahead with 1,355 votes to Mundy’s 992. Mundy did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
The 8th Ward will likely also send new representation to City Council.
Unofficial results show former Land Use Commission Chair Matt Rodgers squarely in the lead with 841 votes, while incumbent Ald. Devon Reid (8th) has 473.
With experience on the Land Use Commission, Rodgers’ campaign frequently mentioned Envision Evanston 2045 — the city’s comprehensive and rezoning plan. In a statement to The Daily on the night of the election, Rodgers reaffirmed his excitement to work with the council on Envision Evanston.
“I really want to make sure that everybody’s voices are heard and that people are out there making sure that their vision is being heard,” Rodgers told The Daily Tuesday.
Rodgers said Reid called him to congratulate him. Reid did not respond to The Daily’s request for comment Tuesday night.
Incumbents seem poised to retain their seats in other council races.
Ald. Krissie Harris (2nd) leads in her race against Darlene Cannon and Jacqueline Mendoza. Harris boasts 838 votes, while Cannon and Mendoza have 504 and 356, respectively. In the 5th Ward, Ald. Bobby Burns holds a substantial majority with 675 votes. Challenger Carlis Sutton has 214.
Likewise, Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) — who faced only write-in candidate Meg Welch — received 1,619 of 2,038 votes cast. Unofficial results do not tabulate votes for write-in candidates.
Also leading her opponent, Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) holds a narrower margin. She has 708 votes to challenger Stephen Hackney’s 654. In 2021, Kelly was elected to her first term by only 26 votes.
In the 6th Ward, a contentious race characterized by allegations of ethics violations, Ald. Tom Suffredin (6th) appears to lead challenger Candance Chow, boasting 1,821 votes to Chow’s 1,520.
The 6th Ward currently claims the highest turnout, with 48% of registered voters casting a ballot. In 2021, the last time all councilmembers’ terms were up, the 6th Ward also had the highest turnout, but with only 36%. The 5th Ward currently has the lowest turnout, at 19%, steady from 2021.
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Related Stories:
— Matt Rodgers leads 8th Ward race over incumbent Devon Reid
— Shawn Iles overtakes Gennifer Geer and John Kennedy in 3rd Ward race
