47th Ward Aldermanic Campaign

As a candidate for Chicago alderman and a member of Chicago's Teachers Union, my focus is inherently local, anchored on the neighborhoods of our city. My connection to New York politics is slight—drawn mostly from a girlfriend who lives there, and a friend who happened to attend Boston University alongside Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Yet, I’ve been watching her trajectory since she first shook the political landscape in 2018. I admired her then for her audacity. But I admire her even more today. Washington possesses a unique machinery designed to grind down fresh idealism, but in the face of relentless, suffocating pressure, she hasn't buckled. She has stuck to her principles.

That kind of endurance is rare, and it matters to me because of what I used to see for a living. Before entering this race, I worked as an accountant on K Street, managing political financial reporting. I didn't just observe the corrupting influence of money in politics; I audited it and reported it to the public. Since the Citizens United ruling, corporate cash has acted as a solvent, quietly dissolving the bond between the voter and the lawmaker.

Representative Ocasio-Cortez’s refusal to accept corporate PAC money isn't just a talking point; it is a daily act of institutional courage. She answers to people, not portfolios. As a former insider who loathes the grip of big money on our democracy, I am proud to endorse Representative Ocasio-Cortez. Her unbought independence is the exact blueprint we need—whether on Capitol Hill, the boroughs of New York, the neighborhoods of Chicago, or anywhere else in this country we call home.