Roderick Sawyer

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Roderick Sawyer
Roderick Sawyer (1).png
Member of the Chicago City Council
from the 6th ward
Assumed office
May 16, 2011
Preceded byFreddrenna Lyle
Personal details
Born
Roderick Terrance Sawyer

(1963-04-12) April 12, 1963 (age 58)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Cheryll Aikens
​
(m. 1993)​
Children2
EducationDePaul University (BS)
Illinois Institute of Technology (JD)

Roderick Terrance Sawyer[citation needed] (born April 12, 1963) is an American politician and the current alderman of the 6th ward located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. In addition to serving as alderman, Sawyer is currently the Chairman of the Health and Human Relations Committee, a member of the Progressive Reform Caucus, and the former Chairman of the African American Caucus.

Background[]

Born one of three children in Chicago, Illinois to Eugene and Eleanor Sawyer (nee Taylor),[1] Sawyer grew up in the 6th ward on the south side. Sawyer is the son of Eugene Sawyer, who served as Mayor of Chicago after the sudden death of Harold Washington from December 1987 until April 1989. His father is also noted as the second African-American to hold the position.

For high school, Sawyer attended St. Ignatius College Prep, graduating in 1981. Sawyer went on to earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from DePaul University, and a Juris Doctorate from the Chicago Kent College of Law.[2]

Aldermanic career[]

Sawyer was first elected in 2011 after narrowly defeating incumbent Freddrenna Lyle,[3] and is currently serving his third term, having been re-elected in 2015 and 2019.[4][5]

In the 2019 Chicago mayoral election, Sawyer endorsed Toni Preckwinkle, giving her his endorsement in the first round of the election.[6][7]

In June 2020, Sawyer proposed an ordinance which would end the Chicago Public Schools' contract to station Chicago Police Department officers at schools.[8]

Personal[]

Sawyer has been married to Cheryll Aikens since 1993.[citation needed] Together they have two children, Sydni Celeste Sawyer and Roderick T. Sawyer Jr.

References[]

  1. ^ McCarron, Mitchell Locin and John. "SAWYER UNKNOWN TO MOST CHICAGOANS". chicagotribune.com.
  2. ^ "Your Alderman: 6th Ward".
  3. ^ (April 2011). Lyle Loses Tight Race To Sawyer In 6th Ward, CBS Chicago
  4. ^ "Class Notes" (PDF). DePaul Magazine. Fall 2012.
  5. ^ Felsenthal, Carol (15 November 2012). His Father Moved Up from Chicago Alderman to Mayor; Does Rod Sawyer Want to Follow in His Footsteps?, Chicago (magazine)
  6. ^ "How Rahm Emanuel's surprise might shake up Chicago's mayoral race". Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  7. ^ Pratt, John Byrne, Gregory. "What does Rahm Emanuel's decision mean for the Chicago mayor's race? Who's in so far, and who's out". Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  8. ^ Byrne, John; Pratt, Gregory (17 June 2020). "Chicago cops-out-of-schools plan potentially blocked by Mayor Lori Lightfoot ally". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
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