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Good afternoon. At 1 p.m. the 7th District Democratic Committee will meet at the Swedish American Museum to appoint someone to fill the vacant seat state @SenatorSteans leaves behind following her resignation in January. I'll be covering the meeting on this cold Saturday.
You can watch the meeting to appoint someone to fill state Sen. Heather Steans' seat here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89463892681?pwd=MjIyUjZFbFhqVXgxeE0rSHFxditsUT09
Schedule is as follows: 7th District Democratic Committeepeople will declare the vacant Senate seat, the six candidates will be interviewed, committee people will meet in executive session to deliberate, and then vote publicly on the appointment.
The six people hoping to be appointed to Steans' seat are state @RepKellyCassidy, Michael Simmons, Joseph Alfe, Justin Koziatek, Joseph Struck and Angela Giles.
Candidates have participated in multiple forums (not the norm) in the past week. https://thedailyline.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fd19771b35af61a7e5478cb85&id=e941aa38fe&e=fc23e3e8cf
Candidates have participated in multiple forums (not the norm) in the past week. https://thedailyline.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fd19771b35af61a7e5478cb85&id=e941aa38fe&e=fc23e3e8cf
Cassidy is considered the clear frontrunner and has given her proxy on the appointment committee to @ChiAlderwoman. Chair @48Ward will serve as proxy for @50thWardChicago who could not attend today.
Paul Rosenfeld, 47th Ward Democratic committeeperson, says he's been involved in "a few of these different vacancy appointment processes" and he has never seen a chair "who's worked harder to make sure that it was open" and "inclusive" for community members to weigh in.
Joseph Struck (bottom left) is first up in opening statements. Struck says he’s watched “loyalty to power overtake loyalty to our citizens” and “foolish budgeting.”
Struck proposes a participatory budgeting plan like aldermanic menu money for "the hardest hit areas in Illinois"
Struck proposes a participatory budgeting plan like aldermanic menu money for "the hardest hit areas in Illinois"
Struck said he would take the same position as Steans in support of ranked-choice voting.
That voting system "gives more power to each candidate," Struck says.
That voting system "gives more power to each candidate," Struck says.
Responding to Q from @senvillivalam on what policies he would support to help essential workers, Struck says he would support raising "all essential workers'" minimum wage to $20.
Finds it "disgraceful" people are risking so much "and they're making such low wages in some cases"
Finds it "disgraceful" people are risking so much "and they're making such low wages in some cases"
