Maria Hadden was first elected to represent the 49th Ward in the City Council in 2019, beating 20-year incumbent Joe Moore. A housing organizer and nonprofit executive who had built coalitions on the Far North Side for more than a decade, Hadden garnered more than 63 percent of the vote in 2019 to oust Moore. Prior to being elected to the City Council, Hadden became a leading voice in the 49th Ward’s participatory budgeting process and founded the nonprofit Our City Our Voice, helping to build neighborhood involvement in local governing decisions.

Upon her election, Hadden became the first and only openly gay Black woman to serve in the City Council. She is a member of the Aldermanic Black Caucus, the LGBT Caucus and the Progressive Reform Caucus. Since taking office, Hadden has been a vocal proponent of drawing down funding for the Chicago Police Department and reinvesting the funds in social services.

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