This year's mayoral/aldermanic elections featured a record number of openly LGBT candidates thorughout Illinois. From those races, several of those individuals are vying for various political offices later this month:
—Colin Bird-Martinez
Race: Alderman ( 31st Ward )
Website: ColinForChicago.com
The skinny: Bird-Martinez lives in Hermosa with husband Joshua; their two cats, Roy and Max; and a dachshund, Frankie. He also co-founded Hermosa Neighborhood Association to bring about positive change in the community.
—James Cappleman
Race: Alderman ( 46th Ward )
Website: Website Link Here
The skinny: A former teacher, social worker, and health care non-profit leader, Cappleman has represented the ward since 2011. This year, he faces five candidates.
—Maria Hadden
Race: Alderman ( 49th Ward )
Website: Website Link Here
The skinny: Running against longtime incumbent Ald. Joe Moore, Hadden is the executive director of Our City Our Voice—a national nonprofit organization she founded to enable communities and government across the country to re-design democracy for more empowered and equitable participation.
—Lori Lightfoot
Race: Mayor
Website: Website Link Here
The skinny: Lightfoot has served as senior equity partner in the Litigation and Conflict Resolution Group at Mayer Brown LLP as well as chair of the Police Accountability Task Force. She has secured several endorsements, including support from the Chicago Sun-Times and the Equality Illinois PAC.
—Raymond Lopez
Race: Alderman ( 15th Ward )
Website: Article Link Here
The skinny: Lopez is also facing multiple candidates ( four ). He was elected as Chicago's 15th Ward alderman on April 7, 2015.
—Angela "Angie" Maloney
Race: Alderman ( 47th Ward )
Website: iam47.org/
The skinny: Maloney is one of the most competitive races in the city, with nine people running to succeed incumbent Ald. Ameya Pawar, who is running for city treasurer.
—Deb Mell
Race: Alderman ( 33rd Ward )
Website: Website Link Here
The skinny: Mell, a member of the City Council's LGBT Caucus along with four others, is a former Illinois state representative. She was a member of Equal Marriage Now in the mid-2000s and participated in protest actions that led to her arrest in front of the Cook County headquarters. Mell's arrest made the news due to her father's and brother-in-law's ( former Ald. Dick Mell and ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, respectively ) political positions at the time.
—David Mihalyfy
Race: Alderman ( 11th Ward )
Website: Article Link Here
The skinny: Mihalyfy is a labor and education activist who's competing against incumbent Patrick Daley Thompson, the grandson of former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley and a nephew of ex-Mayor Richard M. Daley.
—Marilyn Morales
Race: Alderman ( 45th Ward )
Website: Article Link Here
The skinny: Morales brings more than 25 years of dedicated local government experience working for the Chicago Park District and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
—Maggie O'Keefe
Race: Alderman ( 40th Ward )
Website: Maggie2019.com
The skinny: O'Keefe worked on multiple campaigns in the previous election cycle, including Ameya Pawar for governor, Fritz Kaegi for Cook County assessor, and three winning races for judge.
—Carlos Ramirez-Rosa
Race: Alderman ( 35th Ward )
Website: CarlosRosa.org
The skinny: Ramirez-Rosa, like Lopez, was elected in 2015. The ward encompasses the neighborhoods of Albany Park, Avondale, Hermosa, Irving Park and Logan Square.
—Andrew Rowlas
Race: Alderman ( 50th Ward )
Website: Website Link Here
The skinny: Backed by mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot, Rowlas has said that, if he wins, he would focus on creating a zoning advisory council and holding monthly ward meetings.
—Tom Tunney
Race: Alderman ( 44th Ward )
Website: TomTunney.com
The skinny: Tunney, the Ann Sather restaurant owner who has been alderman of the ward for more than 15 years, is locked in a battle this year with another gay Democrat ( Austin Baidas ) and one-time Cook County Republican Party Executive Director Elizabeth Shydlowski.
