Politics

Want to Represent the 35th Ward on the Chicago City Council? Here’s How to Apply

A four-member committee of 35th Ward residents will advise Mayor Brandon Johnson on who should replace soon-to-be former Ald. Carlos Ramirez Rosa on the Chicago City Council.

Ramirez-Rosa is set to leave the City Council March 31 in order to lead the Chicago Park District, where he will oversee the city’s 600 parks and 6,000 employees. State law gives Johnson two months to pick a replacement for one of his closest allies on the City Council, who will serve out the remainder of Ramirez-Rosa’s term.

Whoever Johnson picks and is confirmed by the Chicago City Council will potentially get a leg up if they choose to run for a full term in February 2027 to represent parts of Logan Square, Hermosa, Avondale, Irving Park and Albany Park on the City Council.

The search committee will be led by Rules Committee Chair Ald. Michelle Harris (8th Ward) and include Palenque LSNA Executive Director Juliet De Jesus Alejandre, Palenque LSNA Director of Equitable Community Development Christian Diaz, Logan Square Preservation President Stephen Andrew Schneider and Marcela Reales Visbal, the assistant director of DePaul University’s Center for Latino Research,

Applicants to serve as 35th Ward alderperson must have lived in the 35th Ward for at least a year and have five years of experience in “government or public service, with a strong understanding of city departments, municipal operations and the City Council process,” according to the mayor’s office.

Candidates should also have “proven deep ties to the community” as well as a “strong connection to and understanding of the diverse communities within the ward,” according to the mayor’s office.

Cook County Commissioner Anthony Quezada won the endorsement of the United Neighbors of the 35th Ward, the political organization founded by Ramirez-Rosa.

Quezada, who was elected in 2022 to represent the 8th District on the Cook County Board, is like Ramirez-Rosa a member of the Democratic Socialists.

Quezada is also the 35th Ward’s Democratic Committeeperson and worked as an aide to Ramirez-Rosa in the 35th Ward office for six and a half years.

The 35th Ward seat is the first to become vacant since Johnson took office in 2023.

Applicants have until March 11 to apply by emailing [email protected] or mailing their applications to the 11th Ward Selection Committee at City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St, Chicago IL 60602.

The selection committee will make a recommendation to Johnson, whose pick must be confirmed by the City Council.

More information is available online.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]

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