With the November election in the rearview, focus has shifted to Evanston’s April election as two City Council seats are up in the air after Councilmembers Cicely Fleming of the 9th Ward and Peter Braithwaite of the 2nd Ward resigned from their positions earlier this year.
Mayor Daniel Biss took applications and appointed Councilmembers Juan Geracaris and Krissie Harris to the 9th and 2nd Wards respectively to fill the seats until a special election is held to decide who will fill the seat until the end of the term. Both seats have multiple candidates running for election.
Three candidates are running for the 2nd ward seat, including Biss-appointed Krissie Harris. Activist Darlene Cannon and Lincoln Elementary Physical Education teacher Patricia Gregory are running campaigns to challenge Harris. All three candidates submitted applications to represent the 2nd Ward when the vacancy first needed to be filled and Cannon ran against Braithwaite in 2021 but fell short by 21 votes.
Geracaris, like Harris, is seeking to keep his position this April. Community Alliance for a Better Government advocate Kathy Hayes is his sole opponent seeking the 9th Ward seat.
Hayes is a local advocate for increased government transparency and affordable housing, even being one of the main voices calling for better education and transparency surrounding the 2023 budget. In an October interview with Pioneer Press, Hayes spoke highly of how Councilmember Claire Kelley approaches her City Council position in regard to attention to detail and increased transparency.
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Geracaris, Evanston’s first Latino council member, has taken legislative action despite his recent appointment, including submitting a proposal seeking to match campaign donations toward the city’s mayoral election. That proposal has yet to reach the City Council Chamber.
Early and mail-in voting begins on Feb. 23, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Voter registration will end on March 7 and vote by mail will end on March 30. The election will take place on April 4 with early voting concluding on April 3.
Corey Schmidt is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.