2024-03-29 15:32:53 2024-03-29 10:32:53

Endorsements

The People’s Lobby’s endorses the following candidates:


Kina Collins for 7th District Congressional Representative (CD-7)

Kina Collins
Kina was born and raised in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago. She grew up in a working-class union family, her father a factory worker and her mother a crossing guard and certified nursing assistant, and attended Chicago public schools. Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, Kina saw her community heavily impacted by gun violence, failing healthcare systems, lack of economic opportunity, and closed neighborhood schools. She is a national organizer for Medicare For All and a founder of the Chicago Neighborhood Alliance. Once in office, she’ll fight for an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthiest people at the top. See Kina’s website here.

Graciela Guzman for 20th District State Senator

Graciela Guzman

Graciela is a community leader, an organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union, the daughter of refugees, and the first in her family to go to college. She is dedicated to cogovernance and centering her policy-making around those who will be most directly impacted by those policies. Her goal as 20th District State Senator is to continue to advance progressive electoral wins on the Northwest Side by focusing on economic and environmental justice, access to housing and public transportation, and justice for immigrants, refugees, workers, women, and people with disabilities.
See Graciela’s website here. 

Jackie Williamson for 47th District State Representative

Jackie Williamson

Jackie Williamson decided to run for State Representative against an anti-choice incumbent as a direct response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Her campaign is focused on protecting the environment, strengthening gun safety, restoring and expanding reproductive rights, and making sure that working people can access good jobs and quality health care.
See Jackie’s website here.

Clayton Harris for Cook County State’s Attorney

Clayton Harris

Clayton Harris is running for Cook County State’s Attorney with a commitment to following through on transformative reforms such as the Pretrial Fairness Act. Harris is a lifelong public servant in Illinois who has served as a member of the City of Chicago’s Intergovernmental Affairs team, Chief of Staff of the Illinois Department of Transportation, and a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney. Harris is a supporter of restorative justice and addressing the root causes of violence and is running against an opponent (also a former prosecutor) who has committed to roll back reforms and return to the more punitive approach that led to the current crisis of mass incarceration.
See Clayton’s website here.

Tara Stamps for 1st District County Commissioner

Tara Stamps

Democratic leaders chose Chicago Teachers Union worker and community organizer Tara Stamps to fill Brandon Johnson’s seat on the County Board when he was elected Mayor last year. Now, Tara is running for reelection in order to champion the interests of working-class families in the 1st District by prioritizing economic equity, social services, criminal justice reform, housing access, and education.
See Tara’s website here. 

Larecia Tucker for 3rd District County Board of Review

Larecia Tucker

Larecia Tucker was priced out of her Park Forest home by a property tax bill that had become unaffordable over the 14 years she lived there. Now, she sees herself as the third strike in the fight to repair Cook County’s corrupt property tax regime (following the elections of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi in 2018 and Cook County Commissioner Samantha Steele in 2022). Her opponent, the Madigan-era incumbent in her district, hasn’t faced a real challenger in the past 20 years, and gets most of his political contributions from tax lawyers that have appeared before his office.
See Larecia’s website here. 

Mariyana Spyropoulous for Circuit Court Clerk

Mariyana Spyropoulous

As President of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District from 2015 – 2019, Mariyana preserved the MWRD’s AAA bond rating and increased transparency by introducing independent oversight and streaming board meetings. As Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, she plans to fight corruption, expose misconduct, and help Cook County residents with a history of involvement with the justice system to start fresh by expanding expungement summits and holding them more regularly. She is running against an incumbent who is allied with the Fraternal Order of Police and endorsed Paul Vallas in the 2023 Chicago Mayoral election.
See Mariyana’s website here. 

Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez for 33rd Ward Committeeperson

Rossana Rodriguez

Rossana earned The People’s Lobby’s endorsement during her first successful aldermanic campaign in 2019 because of her deep commitment to fighting privatization and increasing public control of schools, natural resources and other public goods that belong in the hands of the people, rather than being exploited for profit. In her first term, she improved neighborhood schools, increased affordable housing in her ward, and championed Treatment not Trauma for public safety. In her second term, she continued to serve as an independent voice in City Council, fighting for working families and refusing donations from developers and big business, and will do the same as her ward’s committeeperson.
See Rossana’s website here.

Michael Rabbitt for 45th Ward Committeeperson

Michael Rabbitt

Michael Rabbitt is running for 45th Ward Committeeperson to bring ethical and active leadership to Chicago’s 45th Ward. As a member of The People’s Lobby, Michael worked extensively with us on our push to win progressive revenue measures like the hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate tax loopholes we helped close in 2017 and 2021. He has committed to upholding The People’s Lobby’s priorities, like defending the SAFE-T Act/Pretrial Fairness Act, while in office, and will work with our members to build the kind of co-governing relationship we want and deserve from all of our elected representatives.
See Michael’s website here.


We endorse the following elected leaders for re-election:

Delia Ramirez for Congressional Representative (CD-3)

Delia Ramirez

Before running for office, Delia served as the founding Executive Director of the Center for Changing Lives, Board Chair for both the Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA) and the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA). 

She is currently State Representative for the 4th State House District. She is the daughter of immigrant parents, and the first Guatemalan-American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly. Delia established a legislative housing committee, successfully passed legislation expanding affordable housing, Medicaid coverage to senior citizens regardless of immigration status, and the creation of an elected school board in the City of Chicago. 

See Delia’s website here.

Rob Martwick for State Senator (10)

Rob Martwick

Rob was raised in Norridge. He has 18 years of experience in local government. His family valued civic and political involvement, and he began helping the Democratic Party through his father, the Democratic Committeeman of Norwood Park Township. In 1993, while still in law school, Rob ran for the post of Trustee to Norwood Park Township. Rob founded the Norwood Park Township Youth Council, which gave young adult students an opportunity to participate in local government. After law school, Rob was an assistant state’s attorney (prosecutor).

Rob has served as State Representative and State Senator. Working with the Chicago Teachers Union, he championed legislation to create an elected school board in Chicago. He also supported and helped ensure the passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act (as part of the SAFE-T Act), which ended cash bail in Illinois.

See Rob’s website here.

Robert Peters for Illinois State Senate (IL-13)

Robert Peters

Robert Peters is running for election to the Illinois Senate representing the 13th district. Peters was appointed to fill the seat of Kwame Raoul who was elected Illinois Attorney General. He passed 13 bills in his first year in office, including a bill to ban private prisons and immigrant detention centers. Peters served as the Political Director of The People’s Lobby and Reclaim Chicago, training and supporting grassroots candidates to run for state and local office and helping win bail reform, a strategic campaign in the fight against mass incarceration. Read more

Karina Villa for State Senator (25)

Karina Villa

Karina was born and raised in West Chicago. She has been a lifelong resident of Illinois’ 25th senate district. Karina’s parents were immigrants and small business owners. She earned her master’s degree in social work and prior to becoming a legislator worked in local public schools. She also served as vice president of the West Chicago District 33 Board of Education. In that role she championed a dual language program and full-day kindergarten.

Karina won the 49th IL House of Representatives District, flipping it from Republican to Democrat. The following election, she flipped the 25th IL State Senate District, where she is currently serving. She supported and helped ensure the passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act (as part of the SAFE-T Act), which ended cash bail in Illinois. Other bills Villa has passed include: creating a license specifically for midwives to ensure all those giving birth receive the care they need, requiring public universities and community colleges in Illinois to designate an employee as an Undocumented Student Resource Liaison, and ensuring food assistance dollars received from federal and state aid can be used for diapers and menstrual products.

See Karina’s website here.

Rachel Ventura for 43rd District State Senator

Rachel Ventura

State Senator Rachel Ventura was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois in a working-class family. Ventura served on the Will County Board from 2018-2022. As chair of the Public Health and Safety Committee, she focused on providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling homelessness, and expanding mental and behavioral health care. She is committed to tackling the root causes of crime rather than upholding the regressive and punitive policies of the past. Also while on the board, Ventura successfully organized for the county to adopt the Greenest Region Compact – setting forth bold green energy and sustainability goals for Will County. She also served as Vice President of the Forest Preserve District of Will County. In the Illinois Senate since 2023, Ventura has been an advocate for affordable housing, equitable job opportunities, ending mass incarceration, living wages for workers, and reforming oppressive systems that harm our most vulnerable neighbors.
See Rachel’s website here.

Theresa Mah for State Representative [2]

Theresa Mah

A daughter of immigrants, Theresa Mah made history in 2016 when she became the first Asian-American elected to the Illinois General Assembly (with The People’s Lobby’s endorsement). In her time in office so far, she has sponsored or co-sponsored bills to protect immigrant tenants, restrict individuals deemed harmful to themselves or others from possessing firearms, get insurers to cover the cost of hearing aids for kids, and more. She has committed to making the wealthy pay their fair share, strengthen schools, and increase access to jobs and health care in her third term.

See Theresa’s website here.

Lilian Jiménez for State Representative [4]

Lilian Jimenez

Lilian Jiménez grew up on the Southeast Side of Chicago and has spent her career working on immigration, worker protection, and COVID response. She previously served as Director of Policy and Chief of Staff for Jesus “Chuy” Garcia during his tenure as Cook County Commissioner. Jiménez also served as Director of the Fair Labor Standards Division at the Illinois Department of Labor. When she is elected, she will serve as a powerful ally on People’s Lobby campaigns from criminal justice reform to living wages for gig workers and beyond.

See Lilian’s website here.

Sonya Harper for State Representative (6)

Sonya Harper

Sonya Marie Harper has been a community activist on the South Side since she was 16 years old. An advocate for food access and education, Sonya co-founded the Wood Street Meet & Greet Community Garden and spearheaded the Grow Greater Englewood Coalition, a non-profit organization which advocates for and advances development projects, economic and educational opportunities related to food, urban agriculture and healthy living. She is Chair of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and played a key role in that body as they were using their collective power to lead the Illinois General Assembly in passing the SAFE-T Act as well as legislation capping interest rates for payday lending.

See Sonya’s website here. 

Hoan Huynh for State Representative (13)

Hoan Huynh

Hoan Huynh is an immigrant from Vietnam who is a strong advocate for progressive policies including ending money bail, Medicare for All, job creation in the green economy, affordable housing, and more. Since moving to Chicago, Hoan has worked with local organizations, community leaders, and local government to address and solve social justice and economic issues affecting Chicago. Hoan has led work with community leaders to reduce gun violence, helped create job opportunities for young people, and supported work to develop trauma-informed policies with Chicago Public Schools to ensure schools understand student trauma and create safer learning environments.

See Hoan’s website here.

Kelly Cassidy for State Representative (14)

Kelly Cassidy

Kelly Cassidy is an experienced legislator who is dedicated to a vision for criminal justice reform that brings real safety to communities. In partnership with groups including Access Living, she crafted the Community Emergency Services and Support Act (CESSA), which allows mental health professionals – not police – to treat folks who are experiencing mental health crises. Kelly’s leadership was instrumental in making sure that our state’s legalization of marijuana in 2020 was implemented in a way that took steps toward healing the harms caused by the drug war and making sure Black people could access some of the wealth generated by this new industry, and she was a champion of the Pretrial Fairness Act in the Illinois House. 

See Kelly’s website here.

Kevin Olickal for State Representative (16)

Kevin Olickal

The People’s Lobby is proud to endorse Kevin Olickal for State Representative in the 16th District! Kevin is a progressive candidate who shares TPL’s commitment to racial, economic, and environmental justice and is working to ensure that every community has a voice in government. A lifelong Skokie resident and the son of immigrants, he is also committed to protecting women’s healthcare, supporting public education, and making sure everyone has access to housing.

Lindsey LaPointe for State Representative (19)

Lindsey LaPointe

Lindsey followed her mother into a career in social work after hearing at her mother’s funeral how many lives she touched. As a social worker, Lindsey worked with children with special needs, adults with disabilities, and seniors in need of help. As a policy advocate at Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, Lindsey worked for eight years to find smarter ways to approach crime, saving taxpayers money and making our communities safer. As a neighborhood volunteer, she’s helped residents in need and led community groups.

As a State Representative, Lindsey supported and helped ensure the passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act (as part of the SAFE-T Act), which ended cash bail in Illinois. She also championed legislation that ensures people with disabilities living in groups homes keep all the wages they earn and emergency housing legislation. Throughout the pandemic, she has been an advocate for folks applying for and receiving unemployment benefits, putting pressure on the Illinois Department of Employment Security to make the unemployment benefits system less burdensome.

See Lindsey’s website here.

Will Guzzardi for State Representative (39)

Will Guzzardi

Since taking office in 2014, Will Guzzardi has earned a place as one of the leading progressive voices in Illinois politics by consistently writing and passing progressive legislation. He introduced and passed the $15 minimum wage, has fought for prescription access for everyone, and continues to call out corporate Democrats who give tax breaks to corporations while cutting services to communities. The founder of the Illinois House Progressive Caucus, Will worked with The People’s Lobby for several years on various pieces of legislation to close corporate tax loopholes, reclaiming more than $875 million since his election.

See Will’s website here.

Anne Stava-Murray for 81st District State Representative

Anne Stava-Murray

State Representative Anne Stava-Murray is a dedicated public servant and a respected leader who has represented the 81st District of Illinois since 2019, after flipping a formerly Republican district through a grassroots, people-powered campaign. Before entering public service, Representative Stava-Murray served as a commissioner on the Naperville Board of Fire and Police, where she gained valuable insight into the importance of public safety and community engagement. Her experience as a consumer researcher for various corporations equipped her with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by individuals and families in today’s society. Representative Stava-Murray is a strong advocate for The People’s Lobby’s priorities including environmental justice, closing corporate tax loopholes, fully funding schools and other public services, criminal justice reform, and labor rights.
See Anne’s website here.

Ram Villivalam for 39th Ward Committeeperson

Ram Villivalam

Ram Villivalam took office in 2018 as Illinois’ first Asian-American State Senator. In his time in office, he has fought for a tax structure that would fund our state by collecting a fair share of revenue from millionaires and billionaires while giving working folks a tax cut. He has also fought to improve health care access for all, make the minimum wage a living wage, and invest in clean energy and stronger environmental regulations.

See Ram’s website here.