Daniel La Spata
Daniel La Spata (born February 26, 1981) is a Chicago politician. He is the alderman of Chicago's 1st ward, having taken office as a member of the Chicago City Council in May 2019. He won election to that office after defeating incumbent Proco Joe Moreno in the 2019 Chicago aldermanic elections.[1] He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[2]
Daniel La Spata | |
---|---|
Member of the Chicago City Council from the 1st ward | |
Assumed office May 20, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Proco Joe Moreno |
Personal details | |
Born | South Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S. | February 26, 1981
Political party | Democratic |
Education | North Park University (BA) University of Illinois, Chicago (MUP) |
Early life, education, and career
La Spata was born in South Plainfield, New Jersey in 1981.[3][1] He moved to Chicago in 1999 to attend North Park University, where he later received a bachelor's degree in psychology and music.[3] As of 2019, he is completing his master's degree in urban planning and public policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago.[4]
In February, 2019, during his 2019 campaign, a photograph reportedly from La Spata's 2013 bachelor party was released in which La Spata, dressed in a banana costume and his with his friends surrounding him in monkey masks, appeared to pose with four African-American boys at a downtown Chicago park. Following the release of the photo, La Spata denied any racial motivation and released the following apology: "I apologize unequivocally for the photo from my bachelor party six years ago", he said.[5][6]
He was a member of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association for 10 years, where he worked on issues of equitable housing and community development.[3] He has also worked as a community organizer for the Jane Addams Seniors Caucus, a policy and planning associate at Friends of the Parks, and policy intern at the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.[4][7] On April 10, 2019, La Spata joined six other newly-elected members of the City Council in protesting against the approval of tax increment financing for the Lincoln Yards and The 78 real estate developments.[8]
Chicago City Council (2019–present)
La Spata was sworn in as alderman from the 1st ward on May 20, 2019. He is a member of the Progressive Caucus and Socialist Caucus within City Council.
In November 2019, La Spata was one of eleven aldermen to vote against Mayor Lori Lightfoot's first budget.[9] He joined all five other members of the Socialist Caucus in signing a letter to Lightfoot which criticized her budget for "an over-reliance on property taxes" and "regressive funding models" that are "burdensome to our working-class citizens, while giving the wealthy and large corporations a pass."[10]
La Spata has advocated for Chicago to altogether end its contract with Commonwealth Edison.[11]
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Non-partisan | Daniel La Spata | 7,281 | 61.27 | |
Non-partisan | Proco Joe Moreno | 4,602 | 38.73 | |
Total votes | 11,883 | 100.00 |
See also
- List of Chicago aldermen since 1923
- List of Democratic Socialists of America who have held office in the United States
References
- "La Spata Declares Victory Over Proco 'Joe' Moreno In 1st Ward Upset". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- "Socialists Surge to Victories in Chicago City Council". CBS Chicago. 2019-04-03.
- "About Daniel". Daniel LaSpata 2019. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- "'Hipster Alderman' Out, 'Nerd Alderman' In: Daniel La Spata Charts Path As 1st Ward's New Leader". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- Byrne, John. "City Council's Black Caucus leader rips white aldermanic candidate for 'racist' banana costume photo". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- Issa, Nader (2019-02-12). "Aldermanic candidate apologizes for controversial banana costume photo". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- "1st Ward candidate for alderman: Daniel La Spata". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- Spielman, Fran (April 10, 2019). "City Council OKs $1.6 billion in subsidies for Lincoln Yards, 'The 78'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
Joining the protesters were seven newly-elected progressive aldermen: Daniel La Spata (1st); Mike Rodriguez (22nd); Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th); Andre Vasquez (40th); Matt Martin (47th) and Maria Hadden (49th).
- Schutz, Paris (9 December 2019). "Aldermen Stew Over Being Called Out by Lightfoot Campaign". WTTW News. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- Bremer, Shelby (26 November 2019). "Chicago City Council Passes Lightfoot's Budget Proposal". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- McClell, Edward (3 January 2020). "A Chicago Without ComEd". Chicago magazine. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- https://chicagoelections.com/dm/SummaryReport.pdf?v=1551328290737