Pilsen, Chinatown
This seat is being vacated by disgraced Ald. Danny Solis, who has represented the ward since 1996. Five earnest young people are running to replace him. Our endorsement goes to community organizer and former teacher Hilario Dominguez. The son of Mexican immigrants, he is protective of working class people in the ward. He could bring a thoughtful approach to the rapid development that continues to gentrify Pilsen. “First and foremost, I think it’s necessary to have a community-driven zoning and development process where the people can hold developers directly accountable,” he says, “where they can ask questions like, ‘What are you going to do about parking? What are you going to do about public green space? What are you going to give back to our schools? What are you going to do about affordable housing?’” We’re not on board with his push for rent control, which is gaining traction with Chicagoans worried about skyrocketing rents in neighborhoods like Pilsen and Logan Square. Also running are pediatric nurse Alexander “Alex” Acevedo, executive architect Troy Antonio Hernandez, researcher Byron Sigcho-Lopez and management consultant Aida Flores.
