Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez

A vocal advocate for public education, immigrant rights and the city’s mental health clinicis, and a member of three aldermanic caucuses, Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez did not begin her first term as alderman quietly.

Rodriguez-Sanchez grew up in Puerto Rico, where she attended the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras and worked as a drama teacher. After moving to Albany Park, Rodriguez-Sanchez served as Resident Director of the Albany Park Theater Project.

Rodriguez-Sanchez also helped found the 33^rd Ward Working Families independent political organization.

Rodriguez-Sanchez very narrowly beat incumbent Ald. Deb Mell (33) who had held the seat since she was appointed to it in 2013. Mell had been considered a top target for the 2019 election leading up to the contest.

In the three-way 2019 General Election, Rodriguez-Sanchez claimed just more than 42 percent of the vote compared to Mell’s just more than 41 percent and Katie Sieracki’s nearly 17 percent of the vote. Rodriguez-Sanchez netted 50.06 percent of the vote in the runoff election, squeaking by Mell who got 49.94 percent of the vote — a difference of just 13 votes.

Mell was installed as 33^rd Ward aldermen in 2013 after her father, longtime powerhouse Ald. Dick Mell retired. Prior to being alderman, Deb Mell spent four years as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives.

Rodriguez-Sanchez' win over Mell ended more than 40 years of Mell reign in the 33^rd Ward office. She opted not to run for Democratic committeeperson, preferring to focus her political energies on 33rd Ward Working Families.

Since taking office, Rodriguez-Sanchez has voted ‘against both of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s first two budgets. Rodriguez-Sanchez in 2020 introduced her “Treatment Not Trauma” proposal that would send social workers and paramedics to people experiencing mental health crises instead of police officers. The proposal would put the program under the city’s Department of Public Health and would operate out of public mental health clinics.

Rodriguez-Sanchez is a member of the City Council Latino Caucus, Progressive Reform Caucus of the Chicago City Council and the Chicago Democratic Socialist Caucus.

Current Chicago City Council Committees:

• Committee on Committees and Rules
• Committee on Education and Child Development
• Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy
• Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight
• Committee on Health and Human Relations
• Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights
• Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety

Important Political Events

• 2019, Elected 33^rd Ward alderman

Dick Simpson “Rubber Stamp” scores:

2019-20: 82 percent

Campaign committee(s):

People for Rossana

Recent donations:

• August 2021 — $1,000 from SEIU HealthCare IL IN HCII PAC
• June 2021 — $2,500 from Chicago Teacher's Union PAC
• June 2021 — $1,000 from Service Employees Local No. 1
• October 2020 — $300 from Friends of Jaime M. Andrade, Jr

Sources

• https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2019/11/26/20983774/chicago-city-council-lightfoot-budget-vote
• https://www.thedailyline.com/_pandemic-budget_-with-_94m-property-tax-increase-narrowly-approved-by-city-council
• https://www.rossanafor33.org/bio
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rossana_Rodriguez-Sanchez