Eric Young, a write-in candidate for 3rd Ward alderman in next month’s municipal election, tells Evanston Now that he has made the “difficult decision” to withdraw from the race.
Young says personal reasons “make it difficult to devote the proper amount of time to this election. Our community deserves someone who can devote themselves to the process and that, unfortunately, is not me.”
Young, the owner of La Principal restaurant, had originally filed petitions to have his name appear on the ballot, but his name was removed after a judge ruled his paperwork filing documents were not “securely fastened.” Young then decided to run as a write-in, but now has dropped that bid.
The remaining 3rd Ward candidates are incumbent Melissa Wynne and Nicholas Korzeniowski.
Another candidate whose name was removed from the ballot for petition problems is also not running as a write-in any more, but this was not her choice.
Rebeca Mendoza was planning a write-in campaign in the 5th Ward, but was given incorrect information by City Clerk Devon Reid on how to file the necessary documents, so she missed the filing deadline.
And another 5th Ward candidate, Tina Foster, is also out, but her name will still be on the general election ballot. Foster decided against running after the official withdrawal date, so it is too late to remove her name. “I don’t want to be” on the ballot, she says. “But I am.”