UPTOWN — The forty sixth Ward could have its first new chief in over a decade as six candidates are vying to switch retiring Ald. James Cappleman.
After serving since 2011, Cappleman introduced final 12 months he would retire instead of seek re-election. These searching for to switch Cappleman embody two candidates that challenged him final election, together with one who misplaced by simply 25 votes.
Different candidates embody a former Congressional aide, a federal chief administrative choose, a unionized bartender and an actual property dealer.
The candidates will sq. off in a Feb. 28 election that can decide the political make-up of Metropolis Corridor following an unprecedented wave of aldermanic retirements. If no candidate secures 50 p.c of the vote, the highest two vote earners will proceed to a runoff April 4.
The forty sixth Ward consists of a lot of Uptown plus a portion of Lakeview East.
Right here’s a take a look at the candidates:
Angela Clay
In operating for forty sixth Ward alderperson, Uptown native Angela Clay is working to construct on the progress she made within the 2019 race. This time, she has the backing of some main political teams and politicians.
Credit score: Joe Ward/Block Membership ChicagoClay, an area activist and fourth-generation Uptown resident, is endeavor her second run for the forty sixth Ward seat. She got here in fourth place in 2019, when Cappleman narrowly prevented defeat on approach to a 3rd time period.
Clay stated she is working to construct on the progress made within the final marketing campaign that centered round grassroots coalition constructing and progressive causes.
“I don’t suppose that our constituents and our neighbors have felt their voices adequately being heard,” Clay stated in an earlier interview. “Particularly not from the final election that we had 4 years in the past. … We actually have an obligation to ensure that they’re heard.”
Clay has been lively in political causes within the ward, together with efforts to thwart a housing development on a Weiss Hospital parking lot. She was the youngest board president of native reasonably priced housing nonprofit Voice of the Individuals.
Her coverage platform consists of an emphasis on constructing reasonably priced housing, lifting the ban on lease management and funding for homelessness initiatives. She additionally favors a shift in public security technique towards crime prevention, together with the funding of the violence prevention “peace book” initiative. Clay helps redirecting of funds from “ineffective” police methods in the direction of packages like housing, training, jobs and youth programing, in line with her web site.
Clay has been endorsed by the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America, the progressive group that made main strides within the final Metropolis Council election. The Chicago Lecturers Union has additionally endorsed Clay, contributing at the very least $15,000 to her marketing campaign coffers, public election data present.
She has additionally been endorsed by Helen Schiller, the retired, six-term alderperson who proceeded Cappleman, in addition to Ald. Matt Martin (forty seventh).
For extra on Clay, click on here.
Marianne Lalonde
Scientist Marianne Lalonde got here 26 votes shy of being the forty sixth Ward alderperson in 2019. That’s when she pressured Cappleman to a run-off that noticed a protracted poll rely that ended with the incumbent profitable by a razor-thin margin.
Now, Lalonde is working to construct on that momentum on this 12 months’s open race by pitching residents on her plan for housing affordability and environmental protections, amongst different platforms.
“I don’t suppose very a lot has modified in our neighborhood for the reason that final election by way of how issues are run,” Lalonde stated. “Positively, housing is changing into more and more unaffordable. We actually must focus as a complete metropolis on environmental protections.”
As an vitality effectivity skilled, Lalonde stated she could be the primary Ph.D. scientist on Metropolis Council. Lalonde was a legislative fellow overlaying vitality for Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the place she labored on legal guidelines to strengthen chemical security.
Lalonde has additionally been concerned in various group efforts, together with as a block membership president, the affiliate board of Sarah’s Circle and the Clarendon Park advisory committee. She was additionally concerned within the struggle towards the Weiss Hospital car parking zone growth.
On sustainability, Lalonde is in favor of re-establishing a metropolis division on surroundings and constructing extra flood-resilient and different inexperienced infrastructure. Lalonde is also in favor of reasonably priced, household sized growth and discovering devoted funding streams for homelessness efforts.
Lalonde is endorsed by former Alds. John Enviornment (forty fifth) and Ameya Pawar (forty seventh) in addition to science-focused political group 3.14 Motion and the political group Run For One thing.
For extra on Lalonde, click on here.
Kim Walz
A veteran of North Facet Democratic politics, Kim Walz is making her first run for alderperson. She has the backing of a number of the space’s political bigwigs.
Walkz has served as Rep. Mike Quigley’s Congressional district director and deputy chief of employees and was additionally Quigley’s chief of employees when he served on the Prepare dinner County Board.
She has additionally labored as a political guide, advising Rahm Emanuel’s mayoral marketing campaign and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. At present, she works as regional director of state and native authorities relations for Walgreens.
“I feel that have is actually essential, as a result of I understand how to construct coalitions,” Walz stated. “I understand how to enact change, so I can’t simply give you wonky coverage concepts. I additionally know easy methods to get issues accomplished to serve our group.”
One space Walz’s marketing campaign is concentrated is on efforts to scale back homelessness and supply extra psychological well being providers. She desires to see the town improve housing choices for the homeless and rework the homeless service consumption system, which depends closely on 311 service, in line with her marketing campaign.
On public security, Walz stated she helps staffing native police districts which have misplaced officers lately. She additionally helps funding violence intervention and social providers packages, saying “We are able to’t simply pull cash away from the police division and begin investing in violence safety. They occur on the identical time.”
Walz has the most important marketing campaign chest within the race, with over $92,000 in money available for the quarter ending Dec. 31.
That features some massive contributions from native officers, together with $12,000 from Quigley’s marketing campaign coffers, $5,000 from state Sen. Sara Feigenholtz’s marketing campaign chest, $5,000 from retiring Ald. Tom Tunney’s marketing campaign committee and $5,000 from buddies of Bennett Lawson, who’s unopposed in his race to replace Tunney.
For extra on Walz’s marketing campaign, click on here.
Patrick Nagle
After years as a federal official, Patrick Nagle is working to take his public service profession to the following degree.
Nagle is the chief administrative legislation choose for the Social Safety Administration, overseeing a big court docket community that guidelines in profit awards instances for the federal company. He has served within the position since 2016 and has been with the Social Safety Administration since 2009.
Regionally, Nagle has served as vice-president of the East Lakeview Neighbors Affiliation and was a member of Cappleman’s zoning and growth advisory committee.
The committee weighs in on native developments, a hot-button challenge in a Uptown neighborhood that has seen issues of gentrification rise as growth has boomed.
Nagle stated he’s in favor of constructing extra housing, together with reasonably priced housing, as a approach to meet demand and take strain of the realm’s current housing items, he stated in an interview.
Nagle additionally known as crime and public security “basic problem going through the town of Chicago.” Within the short-term, Nagle is in favor of hiring extra police whereas additionally funding extra preventative efforts, together with mentoring and after-school packages.
As a federal official, Nagle’s run is sure by the Hatch Act that limits political exercise of presidency officers. That features restrictions on declaring as a candidate from a political get together and restrictions on sure political speech.
“I’ve been in public service my entire life. I really feel like I’ve made an actual contribution, each in Chicago and likewise nationally,” Nagle stated. “However I additionally felt a need to wish to assist out form of extra hyper domestically than I had earlier than.”
For extra on Nagle’s marketing campaign, click on here.
Roushaunda Williams
Palmer Home bartender Roushaunda Willams is trying to make the leap from organizing round union efforts and labor points to advocating for neighbors as an elected official.
An Uptown resident, Williams has labored as a bartender on the Palmer Home for 20 years. She is the lead store steward for the Palmer Home’s workforce that’s represented by Unite Right here Native 1.
In her union position, Williams helped earn protections for hospitality employees throughout the pandemic. She was on the front lines of the 2018 hotel workers strike in Chicago and likewise helped get panic buttons put in for housekeeping staff and has testified earlier than Congress on office sexual harassment, Williams stated.
“I’ve simply been an advocate since I used to be younger,” Williams stated. “I made a decision I might additional advocate for folks on the Metropolis Council.”
Williams stated her priorities as forty sixth Ward alderperson embody reasonably priced housing, public security and the bettering faculties.
Williams’ marketing campaign is closely funded by Unite Right here’s political arm. The union has pumped almost $65,000 into her marketing campaign, data present. Regardless of the sizeable contributions, Williams marketing campaign didn’t have any marketing campaign expenditures within the quarter ending Dec. 31, data present.
For extra on her Williams’ marketing campaign, click on here.
Michael Cortez
Actual property agent Michael Cortez made the poll for forty sixth Ward alderperson however has not been lively on the marketing campaign path and has not participated in most candidate boards, neighborhood sources have stated.
Cortez raised $680 for his race through GoFundMe, a non-traditional fundraising platform for candidates. On the fundraiser web page, Cortez stated his 4 priorities are: security, “proceed growth,” appeal to extra companies and aide for the homeless.
Cortez didn’t reply to requests for remark. He doesn’t have a marketing campaign web site.
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