Candidates gear up for final campaigning before primary

The Daily Northwestern Candidates for mayor speak at a debate co-hosted by The Daily and Northwestern Political Union. The candidates will face off in the mayoral primary tomorrow.Daily file photo by Allie GouldingDaily file photo by Allie GouldingCandidates for mayor speak at a debate co-hosted by The Daily and Northwestern Political Union. The candidates will face off in the mayoral primary tomorrow. Nora Shelly, City EditorFebruary 28, 2017A shortened, contentious mayoral primary campaign will culminate in Election Day on Tuesday, as Evanston holds its first mayoral in more than two decades and second in city history.
The primary was announced in December, after all five candidates had filed their petitions, and was a surprise to many. Several candidates said the primary drastically altered the way they campaigned.
Candidates said the shortened campaign season negatively impacted their ability to connect with voters, but said the possibility of a general election was a way to dig deeper into the issues defining the campaign. Although truncated, the campaign has been nothing short of contentious.
State law requires a primary for any municipal race with more than four candidates, but the issue of a primary was brought forward early in the election cycle. Ald. Brian Miller (9th) filed for the election earlier than the preset filing dates, later citing a seemingly forgotten 1992 referendum passed by Evanston voters that requires a primary for mayoral elections with two or more candidates.
The city announced a primary would be held in late December, which shortened the campaign season by nearly six weeks. It will be the first mayoral primary held in Evanston since 1993. If one of the candidates wins over 51 percent of the vote, they will win the election outright. In 1993, none of the candidates won a majority of the vote during the primary, necessitating a general election. The candidate who won the plurality of votes in the primary, Ald. ...


Read more