Evanston Election Results: Incumbents Keep School Board, Council Seats

EVANSTON, IL — Incumbents were leading in every race on the ballot Tuesday in Evanston, according to unofficial results.

Two newcomers endorsed by local teachers unions were elected to the school boards for Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School 202.

And both mayoral appointees to the City Council were elected to serve out the next final two years of their terms. unofficial results (see below) from the Cook County Clerk's Office indicate.

In Evanston/Skokie School District 65, both incumbents appeared poised to comfortably win new four-year terms on the board.

They include the current board president, Sergio Hernandez, who was first appointed in 2017 and elected by voters two years later, and Mya Wilkins, who was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Anya Tanyavutti, who stepped down last fall with seven months remaining on her term.

Hernandez is a 25-year veteran bilingual educator and the first Latino elected official in Evanston history. Wilkins is an executive director in marketing research at JP Morgan Chase

Three newcomers sought to join the school board: tax accountant John Martin, who touted his experience as a youth soccer commissioner, business consultant Ndona Muboyayi, who was making her second run at a seat on the board and high school teacher Omar Salem, who was the top vote-getter in election night results.

Salem has spent most of his teaching career at Niles North High School, from where he is currently on leave to work for a teachers union.

Unions representing local teachers endorsed Hernandez, Wilkins and Salem, who all appeared poised for victory based upon election night results.

In the race for the ETHS board, incumbents Monique Parsons and Liz Rolewicz won re-election, according to unofficial results.

They will be joined by Leah Piekarz, who has more than two decades of experience on the high school's counseling staff and spent 18 years on the executive committee of the local teachers union.

Related: ETHS, D-65 Elections: Who Will Be Elected To Evanston School Boards?

Also in Evanston, voters in two wards picked a new City Council member after the resignation of their representatives over the past 14 months.

In the 9th Ward, Ald. Juan Geracaris, who was appointed by Mayor Daniel Biss in February 2022 to fill the seat vacated by the resignation of Cicely Fleming, fended off a challenge from Kathy Hayes.

And in the 2nd Ward, Ald. Krissie Harris, who Biss appointed in September to succeed Peter Braithwaite, collected more votes than either Darlene Cannon, who lost to Braithwaite by just 71 votes in his only contested election, or District 65 educator and Parks and Recreation Board member Patricia Gregory.

Evanston 2023 Unofficial Election Results (54/54 Precincts Reporting)

Evanston Township High School District 202 Board (3 seats)

• Monique Parsons (i) — 7,450 — 32%
• Leah Piekarz — 6.671 — 29%
• Elizabeth Rolewicz (i) — 4,931 — 21%
• Kristen Scotti — 4,264 — 18%

Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board (3 seats)

• Omar Salem — 6,485 — 25%
• Mya Wilkins (i) — 5,825 — 22%
• Sergio Hernandez (i) — 5,111 — 19%
• John Martin — 4,958 — 19%
• Ndona Muboyayi — 3,895 — 15%

2nd Ward Councilmember

• Krissie Harris — 696 — 54%
• Darlene Cannon — 512 — 40%
• Patricia Gregory — 75 — 6%

9th Ward Councilmember

• Juan Geracaris — 877 — 67%
• Kathy Hayes — 424 — 33%