Committeepeople (Cook County, Illinois)
Ward Committeepeople and Township Committeepeople are political party officials who serve many standard committeemen duties on behalf of their political party in Cook County, Illinois.
Structure and election[]
The city of Chicago, the largest municipality in Cook County, elects committeepeople (known as "committeemen" until 2018) from each of its 50 wards.[1][2][3][4] Each of the 30 suburban civil townships in Cook County also elect committeepeople from each township.[1][5][6] Each party that participates (the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and possibly others) elects its own committeeperson.
Elections for Chicago ward committeepeople coincide with the primaries for presidential candidates,[7] while elections for township committepeople coincide with primaries for gubernatorial candidates.
Roles[]
The positions are unpaid, with responsibilities that include voter registration, community forums, election materials, and election operations.[1] In Chicago, the committeepeople are responsible for producing smooth political processes during the elections in their wards, which includes attempting to produce high voter turnout.[8]
Committeepeople are voting members in the political organization of their party in the County.[8] This role gives them authority on behalf of the party to select replacements for some vacated political posts such as United States Representative and state legislators. Replacements for some other vacancies are selected through other processes: vacated United States Senate posts are appointed by the Illinois Governor and vacated Chicago City Council posts are appointed by the Mayor of Chicago.[9][10][11]
Operationally in Chicago, the committeeperson plays an important role in ward politics. The post of alderman and committeeperson are often closely linked: sometimes the former controls the latter and sometimes the same person holds both posts.[1] In many cases, the committeeman also has influence over the doling out of jobs, favors, and services around the ward. Sometimes a committeeperson accumulates sufficient influence to place their loyalists into political positions outside of the ward.[1]
Incumbents[]
Cook County Democratic Party Committeepeople[]
As of June 2020:[12]
Constituency (ward or township) | Committeeperson | Assumed Position | Other Occupation |
---|---|---|---|
1st Ward | Daniel La Spata | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
2nd Ward | Tim Egan | 2016 | None |
3rd Ward | Pat Dowell | 2008 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
4th Ward | Toni Preckwinkle | 1992[13] | President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and Chair of the Cook County Democratic Party |
5th Ward | Leslie Hairston | 2000 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
6th Ward | Roderick Sawyer | 2012 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
7th Ward | Gregory Mitchell | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
8th Ward | Michelle A. Harris | 2008 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
9th Ward | Anthony Beale | 2000 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
10th Ward | Susan Sadlowski Garza | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
11th Ward | John Daley | 1980[14] | Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners |
12th Ward | George Cardenas | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
13th Ward | Michael Madigan | 1972[14] | Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party |
14th Ward | Aaron Ortiz | 2020 | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives |
15th Ward | Raymond Lopez | 2012 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
16th Ward | Stephanie D. Coleman | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
17th Ward | David H. Moore | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
18th Ward | Derrick Curtis | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
19th Ward | Matthew O'Shea | 2012 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
20th Ward | Mattie Hunter | 2020 | Member of the Illinois Senate |
21st Ward | Howard B. Brookins Jr. | 2004 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
22nd Ward | Michael D. Rodriguez | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
23rd Ward | Silvana Taberes | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
24th Ward | Michael Scott Jr. | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
25th Ward | Byron Sigcho-Lopez | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
26th Ward | Angee Gonzalez Rodriguez | 2020 | None |
27th Ward | Walter Burnett, Jr. | 2013[15] | Member of the Chicago City Council |
28th Ward | Jason Ervin | 2012 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
29th Ward | Chris Taliaferro | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
30th Ward | Ariel Reboyras | 2006 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
31st Ward | Felix Cardona, Jr. | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
32nd Ward | Scott Waguespack | 2012 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
33nd Ward | Iris Martinez | 2020 | Member of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County |
34th Ward | Preston Brown, Jr. | 2020 | None |
35th Ward | Anthony Joel Quezada | 2020 | None |
36th Ward | Gilbert Villegas | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
37th Ward | Emma Mitts | 2004 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
38th Ward | Robert F. Martwick, Jr. | 2017[16] | Member of the Illinois Senate |
39th Ward | Ram Villivalam | 2019 | Member of the Illinois Senate |
40th Ward | Maggie O'Keefe | 2020 | None |
41st Ward | Joe Cook | 2020 | None |
42nd Ward | Brendan Reilly | 2008 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
43rd Ward | Lucy Moog | 2016 | None |
44th Ward | Thomas M. Tunney | 2004 | Member of the Chicago City Council and Vice Mayor of Chicago |
45th Ward | James "Jim" Gardiner | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
46th Ward | Sean Tenner | 2018 | None[17] |
47th Ward | Paul Rosenfeld | 2015 | None |
48th Ward | Harry Osterman | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
49th Ward | Kelly Cassidy | 2019 | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives |
50th Ward | Debra Silverstein | 2019 | Member of the Chicago City Council |
Barrington Township | Robert Steffen | Member of the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board[18] | |
Berwyn Township | Robert Lovero | Mayor of Berwyn, Illinois[19] | |
Bloom Township | Lori Wilcox | Chicago Heights City Clerk[20] | |
Bremen Township | Vernard Alsberry | Hazelcrest Village President[21] | |
Calumet Township | Robert Rita | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives and Calumet Township Supervisor | |
Cicero Township | Blanca M Vargas | none | |
Elk Grove Township | Ted Mason | none | |
Evanston | Eamon Kelly | none | |
Hanover Township | Steve Caramelli | none | |
Lemont Township | Edward M Smollen | none | |
Leyden Township | Barrett F Pedersen | Mayor of Franklin Park[22] | |
Lyons Township | Steven Landek | Member of the Illinois Senate and Mayor of Bridgeview | |
Maine Township | Laura Murphy | Member of the Illinois Senate | |
New Trier Township | Dean Maragos | none | |
Niles Township | Lou Lang | none | |
Northfield Township | Tracy Katz Muhl | none | |
Norwood Park Township | Frank Avino | none | |
Oak Park Township | Don Harmon | President of the Illinois Senate | |
Orland Township | Michael Hastings | Member of the Illinois Senate | |
Palatine Township | Maria Galo | none | |
Palos Township | Robert Maloney | none | |
Proviso Township | Karen Yarbrough | County Clerk of Cook County | |
Rich Township | Calvin Jordan | Rich Township Highway Inspector, Trustee of Rich Township Schools, and member of Village of Hazel Crest Economic Development Board[23] | |
River Forest Township | Thomas Cargie | River Forest, Illinois Trustee[24] | |
Riverside Township | Michael J. Zalewski | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
Schaumburg Township | Mike Cudzik | none | |
Stickney Township | Vincent Cainkar | none | |
Thornton Township | Frank M Zuccarelli | Thornton Township Supervisor[25] | |
Wheeling Township | Mark L. Walker | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
Worth Township | Patricia Joan Murphy | none |
Cook County Republican Party Committeepeople[]
Constituency (ward or township) | Committeeperson | Assumed Position | Other Office(s) Held |
---|---|---|---|
1st Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
2nd Ward | Eloise Gearson | none | |
3rd Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
4th Ward | Lori Yokoyama | none | |
5th Ward | Matthew Foldi | none | |
6th Ward | Darnell Macklin | none | |
7th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
8th Ward | Lynn Renee Franco | none | |
9th Ward | Wayland Johnson | none | |
10th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
11th Ward | Carl Segvich | none | |
12th Ward | Antonio Mannings | none | |
13th Ward | David Krupa | N/A | N/A |
14th Ward | Emma Walsh | none | |
15th Ward | Rosa Pritchett | none | |
16th Ward | Richard Munnich | none | |
17th Ward | Sherri Griffith | none | |
18th Ward | Symeon Brown | none | |
19th Ward | Steven Graves | none | |
20th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
21st Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
22nd Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
23rd Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
24th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
25th Ward | Martin Ozinga | none | |
26th Ward | Jason Wroble | none | |
27th Ward | Mark Spognardi | none | |
28th Ward | Eric Pulia | none | |
29th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
30th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
31st Ward | Bob Howington | none | |
32nd Ward | Stephen Rossi | none | |
33rd Ward | Stan Bartkus | none | |
34th Ward | Percy Coleman | none | |
35th Ward | Walter Zarnecki | none | |
36th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
37th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
38th Ward | Chuck Hernandez | none | |
39th Ward | Matt Podgorski | none | |
40th Ward | Daniel Kelley | none | |
41st Ward | Michael P. McAuliffe | none | |
42nd Ward | Rita Zak | none | |
43rd Ward | Chris Cleveland | none | |
44th Ward | Scott Davis | none | |
45th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
46th Ward | Dianne Shapiro | none | |
47th Ward | Jessica White | none | |
48th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
49th Ward | Jesus Solorio | none | |
50th Ward | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
Barrington Township | Peter Kopsaftis | May 15, 2020[28] | none |
Berwyn Township | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
Bloom Township | Doug Troiani | Director of the Regional Transportation Authority[29] | |
Bremen Township | Kevin Suggs | none | |
Calumet Township | Vacant | N/A | N/A |
Cicero Township | Maria Moreno | none | |
Elk Grove Township | Russ Nowak | none | |
Evanston | Blair Garber | none | |
Hanover Township | Michael H. Baumer | Streamwood Village Trustee[30] | |
Lemont Township | Michael Shackel | Lemont Township Trustee[31] | |
Leyden Township | Bradley Stephens | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives and Mayor of Rosemont | |
Lyons Township | Christine Cook | none | |
Maine Township | Char Foss-Eggemann | State Central Committeewoman, 9th Congressional District | |
New Trier Township | Kathy Myalls | none | |
Niles Township | Chris Hanusiak | none | |
Northfield Township | T.J. Brown | none | |
Norwood Park Township | Anthony Beckman | none | |
Oak Park Township | Linda Tibensky | none | |
Orland Township | Elizabeth Ann Doody Gorman | none | |
Palatine Township | Aaron Del Mar | Palatine Township Highway Commissioner[32] | |
Palos Township | Sean M. Morrison | Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners[33] and Chairman of the Cook County Republican Party[34] | |
Proviso Township | Mike Corrigan | none | |
Rich Township | Eric Wallace | none | |
River Forest Township | Tom Cronin | none | |
Riverside Township | Mike Dropka | none | |
Schaumburg Township | Joeseph C. Folisi | none | |
Stickney Township | Natasa Dzolic | Member of Stickney, Illinois Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission[35] | |
Thornton Township | Tim DeYoung | none | |
Wheeling Township | Kathy Penner | Wheeling Township Supervisor | |
Worth Township | Shaun Murphy | none |
Notes[]
- ^ a b c d e "Ask Chicagoist: What's a Ward Committeeman?". Chicagoist. Gothamist LLC. February 26, 2007. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
- ^ "Party Officials: Democratic Ward Committeemen". Cook County Clerk's Office. Archived from the original on August 21, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- ^ "Party Officials: Republican Ward Committeemen". Cook County Clerk's Office. Archived from the original on August 21, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- ^ Hinton, Rachel (November 25, 2019). "Is name change for ward bosses a breath of fresh air for Chicago's smoke-filled rooms". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ "Party Officials: Democratic Township Committeemen". Cook County Clerk's Office. Archived from the original on July 23, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- ^ "Party Officials: Republican Township Committeemen". Cook County Clerk's Office. Archived from the original on April 10, 2006. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- ^ Long, Ray (October 16, 2007). "Why you already may be noticing politicians". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- ^ a b Satre, Tully (January 30, 2008). "Tom Tunney and a Committeeman's Role". Windy City Times. Windy City Media Group. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- ^ Barone, Michael (August 22, 2008). "Obama Needs to Explain His Ties to William Ayers". U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report, L.P. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- ^ Davey, Monica (November 12, 2008). "Picking Obama Successor Puts Spotlight on Governor". The New York Times. Retrieved November 21, 2008.
- ^ Sidoti, Liz (November 13, 2008). "Obama to Resign Senate Seat on Sunday". Time. Time Inc. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2008.
- ^ "Cook County Democratic Committeepeople". www.cookcountydems.com. Cook County Democratic Party. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ Sweet, Lynn (December 10, 1991). "'92 primary candidates are off to the races". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 4. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
Sweet, Lynn (December 20, 1991). "Political briefings". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 34. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
"Chicago ward committeemen". Chicago Tribune. March 19, 1992. p. 22. Retrieved December 11, 2008. - ^ a b Fremon, David K. (October 22, 1988). Chicago Politics Ward by Ward. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-31344-9. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
- ^ "Biography". Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
Burnett was appointed Committeeman of the 27th Ward Organization by his mentor, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, (and former Committeeman of the 27th Ward) on July 6, 2013.
- ^ "'Independent' Sposato To Step Down As Dem Committeeman, Stay On As Alderman". DNAinfo.com. October 10, 2017. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
- ^ "Cook County Democratic Committeempeople". www.cookcountydems.com. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ "PTAB - Board Member Robert J. Steffen". www.ptab.illinois.gov. Property Tax Appeal Board. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Mayor Lovero Biography | City of Berwyn". berwyn-il.gov. Berwyn, Illinois. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ Slowik, Ted (April 30, 2020). "Chicago Heights veteran says COVID-19 'more traumatic than war'". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Village Officials – Village of Hazelcrest". villageofhazelcrest.org. Village of Hazelcrest. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Mayor's Office | Village of Franklin Park". www.villageoffranklinpark.com. Village of Franklin Park. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Calvin Jordan, Highway Commissioner | Elected Officials". www.richtownship.org. Rich Township. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ Kennedy, W. J. (April 17, 2020). "River Forest Trustee Thomas Cargie insults local residents and national figures in Facebook posts". West Cook News. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "The Honorable Frank M. Zuccarelli Thornton Township Supervisor". Thornton Township. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Ward Committeemen". Cook County Republican Party.
- ^ "Township Committeemen". Cook County Republican Party. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ "Barrington Township Republican Organization President Peter Kopsaftis Appointed as Committeeperson – BTRO". Barrington Township Republican Organization. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
- ^ "Douglas M. Troiani - Director | Regional Transportation Authority". www.rtachicago.org. Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Streamwood, Illinois - President And Board of Trustees". www.streamwood.org. Streamwood, Illinois. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ Earnest, Andrea (January 15, 2020). "Lemont Township Trustee Resigns, New Trustee Appointed". Lemont, IL Patch. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Forms & Permits". Palatine Township Road District. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Sean M. Morrison | CookCountyIL.gov". www.cookcountyil.gov. Coo County, Illinois. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ "Leadership". Cook County Republican Party. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ "Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission « Village of Stickney". www.villageofstickney.com. Village of Stickney. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
External links[]
- Government of Cook County, Illinois