Sebastian Nalls has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Evanston.
He is a full-time student at Purdue University, working part time as a manager for the Purdue Men’s basketball program and said he plans to take the spring semester off to focus on campaigning. Were he to be elected, he said, he would finish his senior year remotely and graduate in 2022. “This would be similar to holding a second job while in office,” he said, adding he has held many jobs as a full-time student.
Mr. Nalls said he wishes to become Mayor of Evanston because “Every generation has their trials and tribulations, and this is no different. Our nation and our community are mired in racial injustice and economic instability. It is time for my generation to accept the challenges in front of us and pave the way for a just and equitable future for Evanston.
“I hope that I will have the opportunity to stand with the hardworking people of Evanston for the next four years to make this city a better place for everyone.”
Mr. Nalls said his top priorities are racial justice, environmental stability and fiscal responsibility. “Racial justice is at the forefront of our campaign because gun violence, gentrification of neighborhoods and lack of early childhood education stems from systemic injustices. We must do our part to fight climate change by fully implementing the Climate Action and Resilience Plan. We need to create new ways of generating revenue for Evanston without hurting middle and low income families.”
Asked what he considers some of the Mayor’s most important duties, Mr. Nalls said, “The Mayor of Evanston is an advocate for its residents and a representative of the City as a whole. It is important that the Mayor takes the time to talk to members of the community to discuss problems that they face. The Mayor also holds the responsibility of ensuring functionality in the City Council through compromise and helping attain necessary votes to pass resolutions and legislation that will bring positive change to Evanston.
“The Mayor of Evanston needs to be active in the lives of Evanstonians. It may be a part-time job, but it must be a full-time commitment, and I am more than ready to take on that challenge,” he said.
To help ease the tension and division in the community, Mr. Nalls said, “I believe sitting down and having genuine conversations with community members is the best way to understand one another. My time in Indiana has shown me how different one’s views can be, based on the experiences a person has had during their lifetime. I will commit to having regularly scheduled town hall meetings where members of the community can come talk directly with me. I want the office of Mayor to be one of understanding and integrity. It will allow members of the community to come together and have discourse while also giving transparency to the inner workings of local government.”
The petitioning period for the April 6, 2021, Primary Consolidated election began Aug. 25, with filing to take place between Nov. 16 and 23. As part of its mission to educate the public on the candidates for local offices in a non-partisan manner, the Evanston RoundTable asked Mr. Nalls the questions noted above, and he provided his responses in writing. The RoundTable will ask those same questions of each candidate for Mayor and publish their written responses with the same word limits.
We invite all persons planning to run for Mayor to contact the RoundTable at editor@evanstonroundtable.com.
The RoundTable does not endorse any candidate for political office.