Appointed alders are now elected alders

Ald. Juan Geracaris (9th) and Ald. Krissie Harris (2nd) were both appointed to fill vacancies on Evanston City Council last year.

On Tuesday night, both won approval from the voters by large margins, and so will stay in their council positions for the two years remaining in the terms.

For each, this was their first try at elective office.

“I think I’ve done a good job one one year. People who paid attention knew that, ” Geracaris told Evanston Now.

The 9th Ward alder was celebrating with friends and supporters at the Good to Go restaurant on Howard Street.

Harris was at home.

“I’m tired, but I feel good. I’m happy about the win,” she said.

Harris said the hardest thing about her first run for office was uncertainty about whether the campaign was actually hitting the right notes.

Based on the results, it was.

Both Harris and Geracaris were appointed by Mayor Daniel Biss to fill vacancies in 2022.

A few weeks before Election Day, Biss issued a public endorsement of both.

“I think that did some good,” Harris noted.

“Sometimes people look for somebody they trust to say ‘this is the right choice,'” she added.

The recent news that Harris had received two unsolicited campaign contributions for $6,000 apiece, money she sent back, apparently had no impact on the race.

The donors were connected to the Ryan family, which is funding the proposed rebuilding of Northwestern University’s football stadium. City Council has final say on the project.

“People understood that wasn’t going to sway me,” Harris said.

“I wasn’t going to take that kind of money.”

Both incumbents were victorious despite failing to win endorsement from the Democratic Party of Evanston — which backed its board members, Cannon and Hayes, instead.