Candidate for Chicago City Council

About the Candidate

Name: Daniel La Spata
DOB: Feb. 26, 1981
Family: Lovely wife Alicia Locher
Occupation: Candidate for 1st Ward Alderman, formerly Policy and Planning Associate at Friends of the Park
Political Experience: Housing activist with Logan Square Neighborhood Association, community organizer at Jane Addams Senior Caucus, and policy intern at The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.
Website: daniel2019.com

Candidate Statement

Hi, my name is Daniel La Spata and I’m running for 1st Ward alderman. There’s a reason our ward is number 1: It’s brimming with innovative entrepreneurs, passionate artists, and hard-working families. But for too long, we’ve been represented by those who put themselves first, rather than prioritizing what is best for our community.

We’ve had an alderman who has favored the interests of his corporate and developer donors, instead of supporting 1st Ward working families who are fighting daily to keep the lights on and the pantry full. That’s why we’ve seen rents go up and up and up, while city budgets have nickel and dimed our community. We have the power to reinvest in our public schools. We have the power to balance our budget by asking the wealthy to finally pay their fair share, not just raising property taxes. We have the power to bring community-driven development to our ward. That’s why I’m running.

I’ve spent the last 13 years working across the 1st Ward to make our community and city a more just place. In my work at the Logan Square Neighborhood Association and in other community groups, I helped lead the fight to build affordable housing in our community, organized against the expansion of privately-run charter schools, and stood up to demand that government get back on the side of working families.

Together, we can create a ward where every family has the opportunity to thrive, where everyone can find an affordable home and send their child to quality public schools.

We can win this progressive agenda, we can make this vision a reality, but only if we’re bold enough to say no more to machine politicians who are more concerned with holding onto power than doing what is right for our community. I’m Daniel La Spata, and I’m running for 1st Ward alderman to help create a progressive future for our ward and our city. Join me.

Candidate Q&A

What is your vision for this office?

My vision is for 1st Ward Alderman is to further democracy, community, and equity in our ward and across our city. The 1st Ward deserves an alderman who is an advocate for working families, not just the wealthy donor class. I want to be an alderman rooted in my community while also thinking about the good of the whole city because all of Chicago’s neighborhoods depend on each other to thrive. I will be someone who can collaborate with colleagues across the city to set a new, progressive direction for Chicago and develop the transformational policies we need to get there.

What is the most pressing issue facing constituents, and how can you help address it?

In the 1st Ward, the combination of gentrification and the lack of transparent and democratic government in our ward hurt our community greatly. Our residents have faced skyrocketing rents and property taxes increases, leading to the displacement of many long-term working families. The current alderman has failed to listen to our community's voice.

We need to create truly affordable housing policies so everyone in our community can find a reasonably-priced home and prosper. We can help address this issue by mandating more affordable housing in new developments, enacting rent control, and creating community-based zoning and planning processes so that the community can truly have a voice in the future of our ward.