Three candidates emerge in the race for 3rd Ward City Council
NOVEMBER 13, 2024, THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN: If elected, Geer (WCAS ‘24) said she would be the first Japanese American and Gen Z council member. Geer moved to Evanston in 2020 during the pandemic to pursue a master’s degree in Asian American history at Northwestern.
Geer first became involved with politics in high school as an intern for Illinois State Senator Melinda Bush. Geer said she worked with Bush to secure state resources for maintaining the decommissioned Zion Nuclear Power Station.
An outreach coordinator for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Geer said she will bring her passion for environmentalism to the council. If elected, she hopes to protect public green spaces and increase the city’s bike lanes and electric vehicle charging stations.
“Gen Z, in particular, is really focused on being adaptable for the challenges we’ll face in the next 50 years, so having that voice that is very existentially aware of climate change is really important,” Geer said.
As an elected official, Geer said she will increase civic engagement by expanding participatory budgeting and helping implement ranked choice voting in municipal elections. Participatory budgeting was not funded for the 2024 cycle.
Geer serves on the board of the Young Democrats of Illinois, where she said she has learned the importance of listening to constituents’ concerns and being transparent in office.
“Holding elected office is an honor and a privilege, and no one is entitled to it,” Geer said. “During a campaign, you have to be willing to listen to work and to put yourself out there.”
