MEET ADAM CORNELIUS
Family and legacy are the foundations of my commitment to service. This video of my late father—whom we lost to cancer—captures the spirit of resilience, integrity, and community that defines my approach to leadership. It is a reminder of why I am fighting for the dignity and well-being of every single family in the 47th Ward.
I am a Chicagoan through and through. Raised by my Polish grandmother over at 17th and Wood before moving out to Wheaton, Illinois, I returned right back to the heart of the city to attend the DePaul University College of Commerce. I began my professional career as a CPA out on the North Shore, where I spent eight years navigating the complex structural, legal, and financial realities of closely held business owners.
Driven by a desire for new structural challenges, I transitioned directly into the vibrant local bar and restaurant scene. This path eventually led to a pivot in Silicon Valley running an ed-tech company, followed by a significant four-year tenure in Washington. There, I represented the second largest industry group in the United States: the millions of hardworking individuals keeping our nation’s hospitality layers running.
After a career pivot to serve as a stay-at-home dad, I found my place exactly where our future is built: as an early childhood teacher. I currently serve our neighborhood community directly as a substitute teacher for Chicago Public Schools while finishing up my formal Illinois licensure through an intensive program back at DePaul University.
A resident of the 47th Ward since 2015, I live right near Paulina and Wilson, down the street from my aging mother who also proudly calls this ward home. Having lived here for nearly a decade, I have experienced the immense structural and economic shifts our neighborhood has undergone firsthand.
My daily mission is mechanical and clear: making life fundamentally safer and better for people, no matter where they come from, who they love, or what resources they lack. If elected, I will make history as Chicago’s first openly bisexual alderman, bringing a vital, protective, and long-overdue perspective straight onto the floor of the City Council. As your Alderman, my only job is keeping the 47th Ward firmly rooted in what has always kept it functional—its people.