25th Ward
The Numbers Game
Previous election data shows how wards 14, 15, 20, and 25 can be won
Politics
A Starbucks is Born
Bridgeport residents protest the forthcoming coffee chain
Seon-Hyung Kim
The December meeting of the community group Bridgeport Alliance ended with a standard group picture. Except instead of saying “Cheese,” members said “Fuck Starbucks!”
A Chinatown Civics Lesson
Building power in a neighborhood without representation
milo bosh
The evening of January 28 was cold and snowy, but around 150 people made their way up four flights of stairs to the grand auditorium in the Pui Tak Center in Chinatown for a 25th Ward aldermanic forum. The center serves as one of the hubs of the community, hosting English and computer classes, services for new immigrants, and a Christian school. With its terra cotta facade and handsome, finely detailed interiors, the building is listed on the register of Chicago Landmarks and in 2007 placed first among twenty-five sites across Chicagoland to win a $110,000 preservation grant through wide community support.
Back to School
Kenwood Academy students grill mayoral candidates on education and race
Ian Prezekes, Justin O'Hara, Ania Wellere, Daivon Garrison, Noah Wilson
On February 12, students, teachers, and staff gathered in the auditorium of Kenwood Academy High School to listen to five mayoral candidates discuss their campaign platforms and answer students’ questions. The town hall was planned and organized by students in the school’s Global Issues class, and students were responsible for not only thoroughly researching each candidate’s platform and crafting detailed questions, but also reaching out to candidates and their campaign staff, moderating the forum, and staffing the event. While only five of the fourteen mayoral candidates—La Shawn Ford, Lori Lightfoot, John Kozlar, Neal Sáles-Griffin, and Willie Wilson (who arrived halfway through the event)—attended the town hall, the event drew a sizeable audience of engaged students.
Meet the Challengers: Raynetta Greenleaf
The Weekly sits down with the patient care facilitator and nonprofit founder running for alderman in the 17th Ward
Courtesy Raynetta Greenleaf
Raynetta Greenleaf was born and raised in Auburn Gresham and attended John W. Cook elementary school and Simeon Career Academy. She works as a patient care facilitator at Rush University Medical Center, and is the founder of an organization called Greenleaf Motivation Inc., geared towards engaging youth and preventing violence in her neighborhood.
Meet the Candidates: Troy Hernandez
The Weekly sits down with the data scientist and environmental activist running for alderman in the 25th Ward
Katie Hill
I met up with Troy Hernandez at his house in Pilsen during the polar vortex in late January. He’s been rehabbing it for the past few years, and workers filed in and out as we sat near a wood burning stove in the living room.
Know Your Machine, Part II
Mapping South Side aldermen's ties to the Machine
Jasmine Mithani
Chicago’s political history sometimes reads more like a House of Cards script than it does a civics lesson. Terms like “Chicago-style” politics and “the machine” have become ubiquitous nationwide to evoke corruption, quid-pro-quo arrangements, and nepotism. Of course “the machine” is not actually a machine—it is a shorthand for the relationships and strictly enforced loyalties that allowed the Democratic Party to consolidate power in Chicago over the course of the twentieth century. While the machine enjoyed its heyday under the father-son duo of Mayors Richard J. and Richard M. Daley, many of today’s elected officials remain beholden to this power structure or employ its tactics: rewarding supporters with contracts and city jobs, intimidating dissenters, and backing legislation which will line their own pockets.
Who Will Replace Willie?
Willie Cochran isn’t going anywhere. His City Council seat, however…
Finn Jubak
Part II of a special joint report of the Weekly and the Hyde Park Herald
The Ward Organizations
Burning and building bridges in the race for alderman in the 25th Ward
L-R: Alex Acevedo, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Troy Hernandez, Hilario Dominguez, Aida Flores (Katie Hill)
Six months ago, 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis’s grip on power was starting to feel a little shaky. After serving in City Council for twenty-two years, aligning himself closely with Mayor Richard M. Daley and then Rahm Emanuel, criticism of Solis was reaching a fever pitch. While longterm ward residents faced increased property taxes and skyrocketing rates of displacement, Solis greenlit new developments marketed toward young white professionals. Community organizations were fueling a swell of anti-gentrification activism, with Solis cast as the central, money-grubbing villain. And candidates were lining up to run against him in 2019, with five challengers ending up on the ballot.
Meet the Challengers: Pete DeMay
The Weekly sits down with the union organizer and environmental justice activist running for alderman in the 12th Ward
Katherine Hill
Pete DeMay has spent the majority of his career as a labor organizer, having worked for a variety of unions including United Auto Workers, SEIU, and Actors’ Equity. He is also a founding member of both the 12th Ward Independent Political Organization and Neighbors for Environmental Justice.