Mayor Rahm Emanuel chose Interim Ald. Sophia King (4th) out of 18 candidates who applied for the position, but who else was she up against?

The Hyde Park Herald obtained information about each candidate through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the City of Chicago. The information obtained by the Herald includes the names of all 18 candidates, their applications, resumes and letters of recommendation.

The list of candidates include Tracey Bey, who ran against Ald. Will Burns (4th) in the 2015 election and lost the three-candidate race but came in second losing to Burns by 3,491 votes. The list also includes Kimberly du Buclet, who was the State Representative for the 26th District between 2011 and 2013. [See full list of candidates at end of story.]

In the application, King wrote in great detail about making the issue of public safety in the 4th Ward her top priority. Her ideas on solving the issue included providing affordable housing as well as increasing development and economic opportunities.

Several names of notable national, state and city leaders were mentioned in King’s application packet.

As the Founder and Chair of the non-profit organization, Harriet’s Daughters, King described her position as maintaining “contact with Mayor Rahm Emanuel to address disparities related to City contracts” as well as interacting with Gov. Bruce Rauner to “reveal and correct inequities in State business and senior level appointments to boards and commissions that affect State spending.”

King also received a letter of recommendation from former U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, which was redacted from the FOIA materials.

Pastor Chris Harris at Bright Star Church, 735 E. 44th St., also wrote a letter of recommendation for King commending her on her involvement in the community, especially in terms of affordable housing.

“Not many people know but Sophia has been working on a national level to bring fair and affordable housing to this community,” Harris said in the letter. “She has explained to me that the fair housing goals in the legislative statutes for Fannie and Freddie are being threatened and that she has been and will continue to advocate for the increase in funding for those goals because that can mean millions of dollars for the community.”

Here is the full list of candidates who applied for the Interim 4th Ward Alderman position:

Marcellous Moore, Jr.
Gloria Hanna
Jeannette Hoyt
Akilah Halley
Tracey Bey
Joshua Law
Shay Allen
Tameka Walton-Lawson
Jesus Ozaeta
Isaac Monroe
Marva Boyd
Brian Scott
Kimberly du Buclet
Sophia King
Leonard McGee
Christopher Butler
Craig Jeffrey
Joseph Madden, Jr.

For more information about each candidate:https://data.cityofchicago.org/Administration-Finance/4th-Ward-Alderman-Applicants-2016/5hda-ha8b

 

[Via: Hyde Park Herald]