Evanston’s incumbent city clerk appeared headed for defeat while embattled 5th Ward aldermanic candidate Robin Rue Simmons held a comfortable lead Tuesday night, according to unofficial vote results from the Cook County clerk’s office.
In the race for Evanston city clerk challenger Devon Reid appeared to be ahead, 66.13 percent to incumbent Rodney Greene’s 33.87 percent, according to unofficial results from the county clerk’s website.
“I’m really excited,” Reid said Tuesday night. “I’m ready to start working toward keeping the campaign promises of making Evanston open and transparent.”
Greene could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. A person who answered the phone at his residence said he was working the election and would not be available for comment.
Greene has served as Evanston’s city clerk since he was elected in 2008. The clerk attends all city council meetings, produces the minutes of the meetings, processes all ordinances and resolutions and handles all of Evanston’s election-related matters, according to the city website. It is the city’s only full-time elected post.
Reid was arrested in November while gathering signatures to get on the ballot after he refused to give a police officer his birth date. Police officials in Evanston are investigating Reid’s arrest, which they have said should not have happened.
In December, Greene’s wife, Lynne, and Evanston resident Joan Hickman filed complaints against Reid’s candidacy with Evanston’s electoral board.
Lynne Greene alleged that Reid did not include the necessary paperwork with his filing documents. Hickman alleged that Reid did not have the proper qualifications to hold the city clerk’s office.
The city’s electoral board ruled against the challenges.
In Evanston’s 5th Ward, candidate Robin Rue Simmons appeared to hold a comfortable lead over candidate Carolyn Murray, 60.43 percent to 39.57 percent of the vote, respectively, unofficial county election results indicated late Tuesday.
An Evanston couple filed a civil lawsuit against Simmons March 13, alleging her construction company “abandoned all further work” and “walked off the job” after they paid Simmons to renovate their home in 2012.
Simmons refuted the couple’s allegation saying she “did the amount of work they paid for.”
The 5th Ward aldermanic candidate was also the subject of two ethics complaints filed last month by two separate residents and was mentioned in another one filed by a former aldermanic challenger.
Out-going Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl has said she needs to appoint members to the city’s ethics board to hear the complaints.
Still, Simmons appears to be headed to a decisive election day win.
She could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
The winner of the 5th Ward race will replace longtime current Ald. Delores Holmes, who did not seek reelection. Holmes was first elected in 2005.
“It was a long race and the community issues should be addressed,” said Murray, after unofficial results were reported. “Thank you for all who supported me.”
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gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @GenevieveBook
