And the results are in… 2024 Primary
Welcome to the other side of the Primary Election!
A time of reflection and rest is definitely welcome after enduring the mudslinging, name calling, and general anxiety of a Chicago Primary. I learned after the 2022 Primary that in order to begin the healing process, I had to leave the city as quickly as I could, as if I was shedding the last 6+ months and leaving it behind like all the yard signs at polling places. For this post-election evacuation, I went on a weekend yoga retreat two hours away, where I meditated, exercised and deeply reflected on all of the hard work it took to get to the March 19 Primary Election.
It takes a whole ward
Working in politics is very stressful. It’s why building an organization like the 40th Ward Dems is so important – the work is shared among like-minded volunteers who care about election integrity, turnout, and our community’s values. People in 40th Ward Dems can call each other and ask what feels like a huge favor and the reply is invariably, “what time and where?”
40th Ward Resident Ari Frede, Judge Chloe Pedersen, Alternate Judicial Candidate Ava George Stewart, Committeewoman Maggie O’Keefe outside of Beans and Bagels collecting signatures
Thank you
Before I jump into the Primary Results, I want to acknowledge my sincere gratitude for supporting me for a second term as 40th Ward Democratic Committeeperson. Sure, I had no challenger and I am so beyond grateful for that, but I did not take it for granted. We collected the signatures, we pushed for a higher Democratic turnout, and we worked alongside the Chicago Board of Elections to ensure transparency, accuracy, and accessibility so everyone who had the opportunity to vote could do so. So thank you for trusting and believing in my leadership and in what we are working to build together as Democrats. It truly means the world to me.
87% of 40 Ward Dems endorsed candidates won
There were up to 16 contested races – from Congressional primaries to Referenda – that voters saw on their ballot. If you cast a vote, you shaped the future of our Party and its leadership. And if you encouraged someone else to vote in the Primary, you get extra credit!
The 40th Ward Dems endorsed candidates in every race. I do not believe in sitting out races, especially contested primaries, just to save political face. To me, it’s cowardice. And if I can celebrate the wins, I can recognize the losses, too. I am proud to say that 97% of the candidates we endorsed won the 40th Ward, and 87% of our endorsed candidates won their Primary races! That level of success could only come from the hard work all of you put in to engage with 40th Ward residents, to talk about issues of importance to our communities, and to get out the vote. Again, the 40th Ward’s success is your success, and I thank you for the work you do to make our community better and our government more responsive to the people it serves.
Spotlight on three races
MWRD – 6 YEAR
Huge congratulations goes out to Sharon Waller, a 40th Ward resident, for winning one of the three Commissioner seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District!
Sharon has been steadfast in her pursuit of this position beginning with a write-in campaign in 2017 for a late vacancy due to the death of Commissioner Timothy Bradford. Sharon ran again in 2022, failing to secure the Cook County Democratic Committee’s endorsement and finishing in 4th place. This time, it was clear that she put in the work to gain the support of voters countywide, and she came in 3rd place for the three seats up for election, just ahead of the 4th place finisher. I congratulate Sharon on her successful win and importantly, commend her for not giving up on her dreams after coming up short twice before. The 40th Ward Dems look forward to supporting Sharon during her 6-year term.
… It is a great ballot name…
What is MWRD? Watch this video with MWRD Commissioner Eira Corral Sepulveda in partnership with CivicMatters.
The 40th Ward Democrats supported the Cook County Democratic Party slate.
Final Vote in the 40th Ward | Countywide (Pick 3)
Sharon Waller - 40th Ward: 18.74% | Countywide: 21.3%
Kari Steele - 40th Ward: 30.56% | Countywide: 31.1%
Marcelino Garcia - 40th Ward: 28.10% | Countywide: 27.3%
Dan Pogorzelski - 40th Ward: 22.61% | Countywide: 20.3%
STATE’S ATTORNEY
This primary race came down just to 1,566 votes after two weeks of making sure that every vote, even mailed votes that trickled in later even though postmarked by Election Day, was counted. In early returns on Election Night March 19, Clayton Harris III was over 10,000 votes behind. But both campaigns committed to counting every vote and 10 days after the election, the AP called the race, Eileen O’Neill Burke declared victory and Harris III conceded.
If you are not on X (formerly known as Twitter), you missed out on a big misinformation campaign from local elected officials who were trying to sow the seeds of doubt in the democratic process. On March 23, the Chicago Board of Elections informed the public that there were still over 10,000 vote by mail ballots to count, and that they had “mistakenly left out additional ballots that had been received back via USPS the evening of Mon, 3/18.”
While we did not get the outcome we expected, I am looking forward to diving into upcoming campaign quarterly reports to understand how much money each campaign spent on voter acquisition, voter data and trends across the county, and to better understand how to beat large money (no matter who or where it comes from) to support the candidate that supports our community’s values. I wish Eileen O’Neill Burke all the success.
Final Vote in the 40th Ward | Countywide
Harris - 40th Ward: 55.02% | Countywide: 49.85%
O’Neill Burke - 40th Ward: 44.98% | Countywide: 50.15%
BRING CHICAGO HOME
The Bring Chicago Home initiative was a revision to the Chicago Real Estate Transfer Tax to change it from a flat tax to a progressive tax with lower rates on properties that were to be sold for less than $1 million and higher rates on properties sold for more than $1 million. This would have established a fund dedicated to ending homelessness through encouraging development of more affordable housing and providing other resources to enable people to obtain stable, quality housing within their means.
It is clear that campaigning for progressive tax streams is an incredibly difficult task for the state of Illinois and it’s likely attributed to not trusting our government and how the tax would be used for the betterment of the people. Anyone who has a heart does not want to see people living on the streets of Chicago; that includes property managers and teachers. Our elected officials who are currently in office need to work harder to restore the trust of the people in government bodies across our state. As the 40th Ward Dems, we will work to support elected officials who understand the value of transparency and accountability in deployment of government resources for the good of the residents of our communities.
We have some incredibly fiscally responsible leaders in office. That does not negate the decades of disenfranchisement sown by their predecessors. If we want to win progressive income stream campaigns, we have to start the work before election season. We have to bring the electorate into the process. We must get our younger voters engaged with our local governments directly, not just in the classroom or the voting booth.
Bring Chicago Home failed because the word ‘TAXES’ is like saying “Great Pumpkin” and until we show our work with responsible, transparent government, progressive taxes will continue to fail.
Final Vote in the 40th Ward | City-Wide
YES - 40th Ward: 61.73% | Citywide: 47.83%
NO - 40th Ward: 38.27% | Citywide: 52.17%
In Conclusion
There’s a lot more to learn from losing a race. When I first ran for Alderperson at the ripe age of 28, I learned that knocking on every door ultimately lost me the seat The plus side was that we helped increase turnout by 27% here in the 40th Ward. It was an incredible learning experience to hear the different perspectives. That way of campaigning really instilled in me that you must listen to all sides of an argument or a problem, to come up with the best solution… you just have to win first so you can build upon it.
As I parse through the 2024 Primary data and try to think holistically about how to do better next time, I am really, really proud of the 40th Ward for our turnout and our politics. My overall goal as a Committeeperson is not to convince people to vote my slate, it’s to inform, inspire and encourage eligible voters to get out and make their voice heard. But it looks like our community values, and our organization’s endorsements, seem to align — that is something to truly celebrate and to remember as we head into future elections.
Join the 40th Ward Dems this summer as we head to Michigan and Wisconsin to support Democrats down the ballot and support the top of the ticket to keep fascism out of presidential office. Email me back for details or read our upcoming emails.
What’s Next
LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS THIS THURSDAY
On Thursday, April 11th we have ANOTHER election, this time in our local public schools. Neighbors within a school district can vote in the Local School Council (LSC) elections.
Learn more about who, how, and where to vote here - https://www.cps.edu/about/local-school-councils/lsc-elections/
Petition Passing has begun for Chicago School Board
The Illinois statehouse has amended, drafted, and voted on a new Chicago School Board electorate map. Candidates have between now and mid-June to collect 1,000-3,000 signatures to appear on your November 8 ballot. If you see someone on your porch asking for a signature, remember to be kind and sign… and maybe ask them a question or two.
Learn More about the NEW Chicago Elected School Board.
We’re going to Michigan and Wisconsin!
Buckle up, 40th Ward! The 40th Ward Dems is hitting the road this summer and driving to our nearby swing states to support local candidates and Joe Biden! Interested in joining us? Feel free to email me back or wait for follow up emails about upcoming volunteer opportunities.
We will also be writing postcards and letters, and register voters right here in the ward! So much to do in the next six months! I look forward to organizing with you.