Elected: 2015

Though he was elected to the Chicago City Council in 2015, Brian Hopkins has been working in politics virtually his entire career. Prior to his election to the City Council, Hopking  served for two decades as Cook County Commissioner John Daly’s chief of staff.

Hopkins made the run for alderman in 2015 after the 2nd ward was heavily redistricted in 2012 to oust then-alderman Robert Fioretti. He won the crowded race, defeating his runoff candidate with 56 percent of the vote. Hopkins’ time as alderman for the 2^nd ward has been defined by his pro-business and development stances. He approved the controversial Lincoln Yards plan, even as many of his critics and colleagues likened the project to corporate welfare. After he was reelected in 2019 unopposed despite resistance due to the Lincoln Yards project, he successfully blocked the Zoning Board of Appeals from allowing a marijuana dispensary to open in the Gold Coast.

Hopkins hasn’t been shy to criticize Mayor Lori Lightfoot. He spoke out heavily against her plan to open a casino at the Tribune Publishing site along the Chicago River and said he was “disappointed but not surprised,” of the mayor’s approval of the project. He also spoke out against Lightfoot’s plan to host a NASCAR race in the city, and said the mayor failed to consult any of the aldermen representing the downtown area where the race would take place.

Nick Ward moved to Chicago in 2004 to pursue his theatre career after receiving his bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Miami University in Ohio. The son of two public school teachers, Ward was raised in suburban Detroit. While working in the Chicago’s burgeoning live theatre scene, Ward waited tables where he saw first-hand “how our world is organized to privilege the few over the many, which is why he is determined to build a Chicago where working families are centered and supported,” according to his campaign website. He published his debut book of essays “All Who Belong May Enter” in 2021. Aside from his artistic pursuits, Ward has served as the membership co-chair to the progressive neighborhood group 48^th Ward Neighbors for Justice and the community representative to the local school council at Goudy Elementary. 

Raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, Larry Svabek works as a lecturer and fellow at the University of Chicago, where he received his PhD in Political Science. While pursuing his doctorate, Svabek did research on attempted harmony and interracial democracy in the wake of the civil war. Svabek cited this research as what sparked his interest in local government. He isn’t new to working in politics, as he served a short stint as a Congressional intern to Rep. Dan Lipinksi (D-IL) while he was an undergraduate student at Northwestern University. He’s running on a progressive platform of police reform and oversight, promoting affordable housing and increasing community engagement. Svabek has not yet officially launched his campaign, but he said he plans to host a campaign kick-off event at the end of September.

Nassir Faulkner has worked for Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office and has worked on U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley’s political campaign. Faulkner was “an inaugural member” of the Obama Foundation’s Community Leadership Corps, and in that capacity he sought to increase civic and voter participation, according to his website. He attended DePaul University, where he was president of the university’s College Democrats. Faulkner also used his time in the leadership corps to advocate for the creation of a tuition-funded program at his alma mater which provides financial aid to undocumented students who cannot qualify for federal aid.

Peloquin worked on U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s 2012 Congressional campaign and Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon’s unsuccessful 2014 campaign for Illinois State Comptroller. On his campaign website, Peloquin lists numerous boards, organizations and efforts he’s been involved with, including as a member of the Friends of the Edgewater Library and serving as the Edgewater representative on the Chicago Association of Realtors’ Diversity Committee.

Kimberly Walz’s political experience began when she worked for U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, first when he served as the Cook County Commissioner and then when he was in Congress. After she left Quigley’s office, Walz worked in consulting with the Obando Group. Her work there included the campaigns of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. She also worked on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in Illinois. More recently, Walz has been working for Walgreens as the company’s regional director of state and governmental relations.

Angela Clay is an activist and fourth-generation Uptown resident who was among those who challenged outgoing Ald. James Cappleman (46) for the seat in 2019 and is running again in the open race as a progressive candidate. Clay has the backing of Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33), Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (18) and former Ald. Helen Shiller. According to Block Club Chicago Clay’s activism has recently centered on fighting for affordable housing and the rights of tenants from lower rungs on the socio-economic ladder.

Roushaunda Williams has been a social worker and now works as a union bartender at the Palmer House Hilton hotel, according to her   Williams has been endorsed by the Chicago Federation of Labor.

Patrick Nagle is the chief administrative law judge for the federal Social Security Administration (SSA). Before his judicial appointment, Nagle worked in the U.S. Department of Justice and for the SSA as a litigant. Nagle is vice president of the East Lakeview Neighbors Association and has served on the 46th Ward Zoning Board.

Franco Reyes is a software engineer who heads his own team at Provi, an online alcohol wholesale marketplace. Reyes says on his website he’s a lifelong Chicagoan who earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Northern Illinois University.

Former newspaper journalist Ed Bannon’s experience in community service and activism has included serving as president of the Six Corners Association, serving on the Dever Elementary Local School Council and volunteering at The Dunning-Read Conservation Area, where he helped the Park District identify improvements to the land, according to Block Club Chicago. Bannon, who resides in Dunning, has chaired the public relations committee for the 38th Ward Democrats since 2018, according to his website.

Though his professional background is in video production and editing, Warren Williams is not entirely new to the Chicago political scene.

He was one of the founders of the 30^th United, an independent political organization dedicated to serving the resident of the 30^th ward. The group was created after constituents grew weary of the lack of response from their alderman’s office. Some of the issues the organization focuses on include promoting police-free schools, non-police crisis response, investing in public education and sustainability. Williams announced his campaign on Twitter in August.

He tweeted that his experience being epileptic has made him passionate about healthcare for all. Beyond his personal ties to his bid for alderman, Williams that he said his campaign would “fight for a clean, green, affordable, and accessible city for all.”

A lifelong Chicagoan and son of Colombian immigrants, JuanPablo Prieto has spent nearly the last decade of his life in public service as Director of Diversity Programs with the Chicago Transit Authority. Beyond his professional endeavors in public service, Prieto also serves on the boards of directors of La Casa Norte, which aids people experiencing homelessness; Latino Worker Safety Center, which provides multilingual workplace safety training; and the Spanish Coalition, which works to provide housing and education assistance to low-income families.

Campaign Site: https://www.ruthcruzfor30.com/

Bio: Ruth Cruz’s background in public service comes through the lens of education, as Cruz has spent the past 16 years of her career working in higher education. She currently works as the assistant director of admissions at Roosevelt University. A graduate of the Chicago Public Schools system, Cruz moved to the United States from Mexico at the young age of 7. After graduating high school, Cruz went on to get her bachelor’s degree in business administration and her master’s degree in management, both from the Robert Morris University. Aside from her career, Cruz has worked in public service through her volunteer efforts, both for the 30^th Ward office under former Ald. Ariel Reboyras and in the Avondale Restorative Justice Community Court. Her campaign platform highlights “making sure working families can afford to live in our city, creating inclusive youth programs, bringing more quality jobs to the community, as well as more small business grants and relief program,” according to her campaign website.

Jessica Gutiérrez, the daughter of former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, is running again for the 30th Ward City Council seat after nearly winning in 2019. Gutiérrez and outgoing Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30) competed in a runoff election in which the sitting alderman won by about 300 votes.

Gutiérrez’s experience includes working as a Northside field coordinator for U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s congressional campaign.  that Gutiérrez has been working with the Puerto Rican Cultural Center for the past few years.