SIGNIFICANT VICTORIES BY LGBT INDIVIDUALS
IN 2015 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
CHICAGO (April 8, 2015) – Equality Illinois, the largest and oldest advocacy organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Illinoisans, said significant electoral gains were made by LGBT individuals during the 2015 municipal elections. A record-number of LGBT candidates were elected to the Chicago City Council at the February 24 and April 7 municipal elections. Additionally, Cory Jobe, Springfield’s first openly gay alderman, was re-elected yesterday.
“Equality Illinois is excited by the historic gains made by LGBT individuals in municipal elections this spring,” said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois. “It is important to elect LGBT people to local governments so that our voices are part of agenda-setting and policy-making in communities throughout Illinois.”
With the election of Alderman-elect Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) yesterday and Alderman-elect Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th Ward) on February 24, the 50-member Chicago City Council will have five LGBT individuals on it, or 10% of the total body.
Lopez, the first LGBT person ever elected to any office on Chicago’s South Side, and Ramirez-Rosa will join Aldermen Deb Mell (33rd Ward), Tom Tunney (44th Ward), and James Cappleman (46th Ward) as LGBT voices on the Council. Tunney and Mell were re-elected on February 24, and Cappleman was re-elected yesterday.