2023 Chicago Election Voter Guide

Candidate Q&A

Why are you running?

I’m running for Mayor because we cannot wait a day longer for a safe and just Chicago for all of us. I’m a son of the Southside. A son of a teacher and law enforcement officer. I’m raising my young family right here in Bronzeville. What’s happening to our city is outrageous and I won’t stand for it, and I won’t stand by.

Now is the time to invest in Chicago’s schools and its future, to give our children more pathways to success. We need to tackle crime now but also the root causes of crime. I’ll bring a balanced approach to safety and justice to end the worst crime wave in a quarter century. And we need to invest in youth violence prevention, mental health, neighborhood blight clean-up and more. We need to create more pathways to prosperity. When there’s more opportunity, Chicago is safer.

I’m the only person in this race to introduce a comprehensive vision for Chicago – I’ve released an overarching plan to tackle public safety, education, mental health, economic opportunity, veterans, transportation, environmental justice, and more. My full platforms are available here: https://kamformayor.com/4-star-agenda/.

I am also the only person in this race who has a proven ability to get things done in Springfield. I’ve fought to pass once-in-a-generation legislation, like the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, the Ghost Guns ban, the Assault Weapons ban and the Elected Representative School Board bill. We need a mayor who will work to get to “yes,” not get stuck at “no,” and I’ve proven my ability to do just that.

I love this city, and I believe we need a leader who will fight for a safer and more just Chicago every single day. We need a Mayor who can bring people together to get things done for Chicago. I plan to be that mayor for this great city.

What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?

The truth of the matter is that this office could be doing everything better. Look no further than the turnover that’s taken place on the 5th floor in just four years and the Mayor’s inability to staff key positions. We still don’t have a permanent Inspector General, a permanent Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure or Education, a Chief Risk Officer to manage police reform, and more.

We also need a Mayor that is collaborative, not combative. This isn’t just about personality, it’s about policy. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mayor was competing with the Governor when they should have been in lock step. During the General Iron hunger strikes, the Mayor ignored the pleas of the community and pressed on with her agenda until HUD had to step in. This is chaos, and it’s hurting Chicagoans.

What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?

1. Public Safety & Justice: We cannot wait a minute longer for a safe and just Chicago that works for everyone. I want to make sure that Chicago is the national gold standard for both constitutional, community-based policing and robust community investment. You can read my full plan at www.kamformayor.com/4-star-agenda/public-safety.

2. Education: The future of Chicago rests in the hands of the youth in this city, and investing in CPS ensures a brighter outlook for all. You can read my full plan at www.kamformayor.com/4-star-agenda/education.

3. Economic Recovery & Opportunity: Addressing economic inequities will help tackle the roots of intergenerational poverty, and that work needs to start right now. My administration will prioritize creating people-first policies focused on jobs, local businesses, and neighborhood development. You can read my full plan at www.kamformayor.com/4-star-agenda/economic-opportunity.

4. Financial Stability: We need to stop the cycle of short-sighted quick fixes and focus on long-term stability and planning. My administration will seek out sustainable solutions to manage city finances and set up future generations for success. Full plan to be released the week of January 23rd.

What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?

I will build an administration that collaborates with constituents to make decisions that work for our city. That includes organization and critical players, but also looks like engaging with community members to understand the unique needs facing each and every neighborhood.

There are many ways to involve Chicagoans in the decision-making process for the city. I will champion a more participatory budgeting process, participatory zoning advisory committees (particularly for communities that have suffered significant displacement), regular town halls and listening sessions, and more. My campaign has been focused on meeting voters where they are and engaging across our 77 communities, and that won’t stop when I’m Mayor.

My administration will make it easier for citizen-led ordinances to convert to legislative action through specific City Council reform efforts. I’m also committed to revamping the referendum process to give Chicagoans a greater voice.

I will take a collaborative approach towards governing. Involving communities and advocates from the get-go helps us avoid unilateral, detrimental commitments like the Mayor’s recent Nascar deal. Creating a true office of neighborhood engagement, and listening to what real Chicagoans need, is key to driving meaningful change.

Do you believe in the tradition of aldermanic prerogative, which gives each City Council member the final say on issues in their ward?

Alderpeople can and should advocate for the best interests of their ward, but it’s important that the Mayor takes the lead on establishing an overall plan for the city of Chicago, particularly as it relates to housing and zoning requirements.

Part of the reason that aldermanic prerogative can lead to corruption is the lack of structure in the Council itself. In the first 100 days of my administration, I intend to introduce an ordinance on City Council reform. City Council should be operated like a true legislative body so they can effectively represent the communities that elected them. They should have a designated parliamentarian and choose their own leadership and committee chairs.

My administration will also lead the charge to create a true city charter for Chicago. We are the only large city without one. Instituting a charter can make it easier for citizen-led ordinances to become law and will establish real rules of order in City Council. It would also protect the city from unilateral decision making from the Mayor.

Should the $1.9 billion budget for the Chicago Police Department increase, stay the same or decrease?

The problem is how funds in the budget are used. Crime is the symptom and the lack of public safety in our city is the disease. We know what we’re doing right now isn’t working, and our approach to public safety needs to change. Not enough is being done to address the root causes of crime. We strengthen public safety through increased investment in education, housing, mental health, and other resources.

My administration will prioritize both safety and justice by investing in the resources our law enforcement officers need while also creating new, community-based models and resources that will support Chicagoans. These provisions and more are outlined in my comprehensive public safety plan, which my campaign released in May: www.kamformayor.com/4-star-agenda/public-safety.

Should the city raise the Real Estate Transfer Tax on properties sold for more than $1 million to fund programs to help unhoused Chicagoans?

Yes – reforming the RETT is critical to getting the funding we need to address the affordable housing crisis in our city. I will expand the upper-limit of the Real Estate Transfer Tax, but it’s not enough to just say you want to raise the RETT. I would spread that additional funding over a number of areas, including single-family rehab in distressed neighborhoods, additional funding for multi-family properties through the Troubled Buildings Initiative, and additional affordable dwelling units (ADUs) on vacant land.

Chicago’s RETT has a fundamental flaw that I would fix as Mayor: No revenue raised through RETT is restricted for housing needs, and that is partly why we still have such deep housing issues across our city. If the City created dedicated funds for affordable housing from the RETT, like the State, we could invest in better programs. The Mayor turned her back on this campaign promise when she got elected and I’m committed to making it happen.

My comprehensive housing plan is available at https://kamformayor.com/4-star-agenda/housing.

Should the city open and operate mental health clinics to provide free care to Chicagoans?

Yes. My mental health plan calls for re-establishing the mental health clinics that have been shuttered across the city back to 20 total clinics in the city. We would use data on existing resources to determine where these new clinics need to be opened to service neighborhoods and communities that are in the greatest need. Four of these need to be open 24 hours a day and accessible to all Chicagoans – on the North, South, East and West sides of the city.

You can read my full plan here: https://kamformayor.com/4-star-agenda/mental-health/.

How should Chicago build the 120,000 homes it needs for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans?

I plan to create affordable housing across Chicago by partnering with neighborhood builders to establish affordable units in each community and creating a coalition of neighborhood builders to advise on affordable housing opportunities citywide. To ensure that builders and developers are incentivized to build, I will find ways to reduce construction costs to build more affordable housing, like reforming our antiquated plumbing code. I will also incentivize and encourage the development of new 2-flat builds as a tool to boost economic development and provide families with alternative ways to build family wealth. All of this will be managed by a Cabinet-level position that I will fill that is focused on creating, maintaining and managing affordable housing.

To ensure we have the funds to build more affordable multi-family housing units throughout the City, I will expand the upper-limit of the Real Estate Transfer Tax. You can find my full housing plan here: https://kamformayor.com/4-star-agenda/housing/.

What do you see as potential solutions to address the number of shootings in Chicago?

What we’re doing right now isn’t working – we need new, innovative solutions to address the root causes of crime and keep our communities safe. I will double the budget of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and implement a strategy for focused deterrence interventions. This will allow us to strategically and directly apply interventions and social service resources at an individual level. We can focus on high-risk individuals who've already come in contact with the system and offer them access to jobs, housing and other essential services. In other words, we would build a robust community policing program.

I’ve been fighting in Springfield for our communities for the past three years. I’ve been a leader in passing reforms to keep untraceable ‘ghost guns’ off our streets and most recently making Illinois the 9th state in the nation to ban deadly assault weapons. I know what it takes to do this work and get these changes across the finish line.