A third Evanston resident has launched a campaign for the city’s 2027 mayoral special election.
Elliot Oats, a 22-year-old union steward and bike safety advocate, filed paperwork to run for mayor on Wednesday. Oats, a 6th Ward resident, is the third person to publicly announce they intend to run for mayor, joining business lawyer Jade Carpenter and former mayoral candidate Jeff Boarini.
A UPS employee for the past five years and now a union steward, Oats said he cares deeply about politics and sees the open seat as an opportunity to get involved in city government and highlight issues like affordability and bike safety.
“After being involved in the union for just over three years, I’ve been interested more in getting into politics and ensuring that as I bike around, it’s safe streets for that,” Oats told The Daily.
The special election will replace Mayor Daniel Biss, who announced in June that he will resign Oct. 18. Biss is running as the Democratic nominee to represent Illinois’ 9th District in the U.S. House of Representatives and will step down ahead of his Nov. 3 general election.
The winner of next year’s special election will serve the remaining two years of Biss’ term until 2029.
Oats has been active in local bike advocacy, including speaking during public comment at Monday’s City Council meeting in favor of a speed limit reduction on Emerson Street, which Council passed later that evening.
Oats said he hopes additional measures will be taken to increase bike safety on Emerson Street, including creating protected bike lanes.
“I think that paint on the ground is not enough to protect children who are going to school, especially at that age,” Oats said during public comment.
In addition to bike safety, Oats told The Daily that affordability is an important issue for him.
He said he wants to push for policies that create a more “robust, competitive landscape for retail space” to ensure the longevity of local businesses. He added that he wants to improve housing affordability through co-ops and multi-family housing — though not at the expense of the city’s green space.
Oats said that as mayor, he would also make sure Envision Evanston 2045’s comprehensive plan is “strongly implemented.”
“Evanston’s in a massive period of change with that plan, and I want to help guide it to be a successful plan and not just a thought or a dream,” Oats said.
Mayoral candidates must file their petitions with at least 946 signatories between Oct. 19 and 26. They can begin collecting signatures from registered Evanston voters on July 28.
If all three — or more — potential candidates file to run for mayor in October, a primary election will be held Feb. 23. If a candidate wins the primary with more than 50% of the vote, they will automatically win the race. Otherwise, the top two candidates will run in the general election April 6.
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Related Stories:
— Biss announces October resignation, reflects on tenure in State of City Address
— City Council retains simple majority for acting mayor selection
