New state rep coming to South Loop, Lakeshore East
South Side community organizer, Bronzeville resident Christian Mitchell running for 26th District House seat
11/28/2011 8:15 PM
South Loop, downtown and Lakeshore East residents living within a few blocks of Lake Michigan are getting yet another new state representative.
On Monday morning, candidates from all over the state filed their paperwork to run for the Illinois House and other offices in next March’s primary, and current 26th District State Rep. Kimberly du Buclet (who replaced Will Burns in May) wasn’t among them.
Instead, it seems the powers that be are preening the third person to take the seat since the beginning of this year: Christian Mitchell, a 25-year-old community organizer who lives in Bronzeville.
Mitchell, a graduate of the University of Chicago, has been working as a faith-based community organizer in neighborhoods from Bronzeville to Country Club Hills. He’s a political veteran, having already written two pieces of successfully passed legislation while he was working with his community organizing group, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation: the 2009 Urban Weatherization Initiative and the 2011 Universal Fare Card bill.
In an interview Monday evening, Mitchell said both fit into his goal of empowering underprivileged communities. After working on failed efforts to pass gun control legislation, he started to look at what else could be done.
“What were some of the real structural problems that are creating violence? Unemployment was one,” Mitchell said. “So we started to look for ways to get people working, and we ultimately settled on weatherization, with a focus on local training and hiring.”
His second bill, universal fare card legislation, helped the underprivileged too, he said. A universal fare card would allow riders to use one pass for CTA, Metra and Pace, making it easier for folks living on the far South Side of Chicago with long commutes to switch between modes of transportation.
Both bills were introduced into the house by Burns, whom Mitchell calls his mentor. Mitchell was Burns’ campaign manager in his run for 4th Ward alderman this spring, and went to work on former 4th Ward Alderman and current Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s staff. He also worked for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s reelection campaign in 2010.
Both Burns and Preckwinkle gave Mitchell's campaign $25,000 from their campaign coffers in late September.
Mitchell also said du Buclet, who was handpicked by Democrats in May to replace Burns when he was elected alderman, has decided not to run and is supporting him in the race. Buclet didn’t return a call seeking comment Monday evening.
Though he said he didn’t push to be appointed to the seat earlier this year when du Buclet got it, Mitchell said he’s had his eye on the district since at least 2008.
“It’s just such a rich swath of Chicago history. These are great people from all swaths of life, plumbers and electricians and professors and business people,” Mitchell said. “It’s just a great, great place to live and a great place to work and I think it’s a district that can be a great model for the rest of the state and in some ways the rest of the country.
Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) said she’s backing Mitchell in the race and has been walking him around her ward introducing him to her constituents.
“I think he’s a young guy, I think he’s very smart, and I believe he’ll be a hard worker,” Dowell said. “I’ve talked to him about some of the things that are important to my constituents — education policies, funding support for infrastructure improvements, pension reform — those are things that he cares about."
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By We can't fight The Machine from Actually we can but we choose not to!
Posted: 12/01/2011 8:10 PM
"This makes me want to vote Republican" By Robert from S. Loop >> Robert, I dare you, I double dare you to vote Republican for 26th State Rep. Actually, I doubt any Republican will even run, so you won't even have that choice. The Democrats pretty much have Chicago on lock down. Your best best is to run another Democrat against the "political veteran" in the March 2012 Primary. But anybody you get will have to fight the political might (and the almighty dollar) of the Chicago Machine! Good Luck!
By Zach from Bronzeville
Posted: 12/01/2011 5:21 PM
What a load of nonsense. I'd love to hear what the staffers down in Springfield have to say about the bills he "wrote." The little experience he does have doesn't qualify him as a "political veteran" by any means. Will and Toni are just placing a stooge down in Springfield to do their bidding. That's why they didn't choose an older, more experienced individual. That person wouldn't owe their entire career to just two people. Let's hope someone jumps in and makes this competitive.
By Eric from South Loop
Posted: 11/30/2011 11:40 PM
Oh brother, another worthless Obama clone....Hey Chris, how about going out and getting a real job for about 10-15 years, learning about reality, running a business, accountability, ethics, failure & success with your own money, and not mooching off of the public and 'working for campaigns'. Of course Dowell would support you, now I don't need to read your bio.
By Pierre Clark from Bronzeville
Posted: 11/29/2011 9:08 AM
Chris is smart, savvy and a good young guy. He'll do at least as well as anyone else and even if he doesn't win this time, which it seems he will, he's starting early and that's a plus. We need a new generation and Chris is organized and I think a good learner. So I say go for it and congrats to Chris
By Robert from S. Loop
Posted: 11/29/2011 8:02 AM
A "political veteran" at 25. Surely you jest. Their experience is as Community Organizer. Are you serious?! This makes me want to vote Republican.