Candidate for Chicago City Council

About the Candidate

Name: Matt Martin
DOB: March 4, 1984
Family: I live in the Lincoln Square neighborhood with my wife, Katelyn, and our three-year-old son, Isaac.
Occupation: I am a civil rights lawyer at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, where I have worked on police reform, workers’ rights, healthcare, LGBTQ issues, reproductive rights, and immigration.
Political Experience: I currently serve on the Local School Council for McPherson Elementary. In addition, I co-founded the Heart of Lincoln Square Neighbors Association, and served on Alderman Pawar’s Zoning Advisory Council.
Website: matt47.com

Candidate Statement

My name is Matt Martin. I’m a civil rights lawyer at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and I am running for 47th Ward Alderman. I live in Lincoln Square with my wife, Katelyn, and our 3-year-old son, Isaac. I also serve on the local school council at McPherson Elementary, and co-founded the Heart of Lincoln Square Neighbors Association.

I’m running for Alderman because there are too many neighbors in our ward and our city who are struggling. Housing is increasingly unaffordable, especially with property taxes on the rise. Every school in our ward is underfunded by at least $1 million dollars. And our police department badly needs reform—especially regarding training, supervision, and accountability.

We need our next Alderman to tackle these problems thoughtfully and aggressively. And to do so without sacrificing focus on delivering core services like garbage collection, tree trimming, and road repairs.

Every day of my campaign, I’ve talked to people who share this simple but bold vision. Far too often, our political process is derailed by elected officials beholden to the special interests that fund their campaigns, the City Council leadership, or the Mayor. In City Council, I will be an independent leader who knows how to build coalitions, put community concerns first, and stand up to the political machines and special interests.

I’m Matt Martin, candidate for Alderman in the 47th Ward, and I look forward to earning your support!

Candidate Q&A

What is your vision for this office?

I am running for Alderman to bring independent, progressive leadership to City Hall and take on the big challenges facing our city. We can ensure our housing is affordable, our schools are fully funded, and our police department is reformed, but it will take an independent, progressive leader who will stand with neighbors to fight for all of us, not the last donor who wrote them a big check or their last political boss.

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

When we talk about fully funding our schools, maintaining affordability, and reforming our police department, how we bring in revenue is a big part of the conversation. By 2023, we’ll have a $1 billion budget deficit from pensions alone. Simply put, we cannot continue to rely on regressive property taxes and parking tickets to fill that gap. As Alderman, I will lead the charge on scaling back regressive revenue like property taxes and embracing progressive revenue sources to ensure we can fully fund our schools and social services without putting the burden on those least able to pay.