To fill the vacancy created by Anthony Quezada’s transition to 35th Ward Alderperson, UN35 and other IPOs from the Northwest Side are organizing a candidate forum so that candidates for the District 8 Cook County Commissioner appointment can introduce themselves and answer questions from community residents.
The forum will be held on Zoom on Saturday, April 26th, from 3-5 PM, with Spanish interpretation available – RSVP here! The volunteer-led forum will be an important venue for ensuring the community’s voices are represented before the Cook County Democratic Committeepeople convene to appoint the next Commissioner.
This appointment process follows the inauguration last week of Anthony Quezada as the 35th Ward’s Alderperson, which culminated in a celebration at Hairpin Arts Center. The evening’s program was led by IL State Senator Graciela Guzmán and featured speeches from local leaders including 26th Ward Alderperson Jessie Fuentes, UN35 Treasurer Joyce Brody, and outgoing 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa. In front of members of the community and press, Anthony also spoke about his history in organizing from a young age, and how he plans to continue building people power in City Hall.
As Carlos Ramirez-Rosa transitioned to his new role as CEO of the Chicago Parks Department, he co-authored an article in Convergence Mag with UN35’s original executive director, Marta Popadiak. The post tells the story of our organization’s beginnings, and offers insights and inspiration for organizers attempting to build a better world today.