Mark Tendam Concedes Evanston Mayor Race To Steve Hagerty

EVANSTON, IL — Trailing by fewer than 130 votes, Ald. Mark Tendam placed a call to Steve Hagerty to concede Evanston's mayoral race six days after Election Day.

Hagerty called it a "bittersweet win," saying he has a "tremendous amount of respect" for Tendam, his campaign and supporters. He said he would meet with city leaders to learn their priorities and determine his goals for his first year in office, according to the Evanston Review.

Tendam said it "has been an honor" to serve Evanstonians for the past eight years as 6th Ward Alderman. Tendam's last Evanston City Council meeting will be the April 24. He offered his support to Hagerty and the entire incoming city council, which will be sworn in May 8.

Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl announced she was not seeking reelection last summer, setting off a campaign featuring unprecedented spending, eligibility challenges and a five candidate primary.

Hagerty emerged from February's primary as the top vote-getter but fell short of an outright majority. Last Tuesday, he received 50.36 percent of the vote amid Evanston's highest municipal turnout in recent history, according to data from the Cook County Clerk.

Local officials have until April 25 to certify the results. Mail and provisional ballots could still take another week to be fully counted, according to a spokesperson for the Clerk's office.

Tendam decided to concede after the Clerk's office posted updated results on Friday. While additional ballots chipped away at Hagerty's lead, he told the Daily Northwestern he no longer believed he had a chance of overturning the deficit.