8th ward, Chicago
{{Short description|Ward in Chicago}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = 8th Ward - Chicago
| official_name = Ward 8
| other_name =
| nickname =
| settlement_type = {{nowrap|Ward}}
| motto =
| image_skyline =
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| established_title = Established
| established_date = 1847
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| government_footnotes =
| government_type = Ward
| governing_body = Chicago City Council
| leader_party = Democratic Party
| leader_title = Alderperson
| leader_name = Michelle A. Harris
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Illinois
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = Cook
| subdivision_type3 = City
| subdivision_name3 = Chicago
| parts_type = Communities
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| parts = list
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| website = [https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/about/wards/08.html]
}}
The 8th Ward is one of the 50 aldermanic wards with representation in the City Council of Chicago, Illinois.
History
{{expand section|date=January 2025}}
The ward was created on February 16, 1847, when the number of wards in the city increased from six to nine.{{Cite web |url=http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |title=Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office. |access-date=December 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904052355/http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |url-status=dead }}
Past alders
The current alderperson for the 8th ward is Michelle A. Harris, who has represented the ward since 2006.
=Before 1923=
Before 1923, wards were represented by two aldermen.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" colspan="7"| Aldermen
! rowspan=2 scope=col|# Council ! scope="col" colspan="7"| Aldermen |
|---|
| scope="col" colspan="3"|Alderman
!scope="col"|Term in office !scope="col"|Party !scope="col"|Notes !scope="col"|Cite !scope="col" colspan="3"|Alderman !scope="col"|Term in office !scope="col"|Party !scope="col"|Notes !scope="col"|Cite |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| James Lane | rowspan=2| 1847–1849 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 11th | | !scope="row"| William B. Snowhook | 1847–1848 | | |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 12th
| rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| William B. Herrick | rowspan=2| 1848–1850 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |
| |
!scope="row"| Henry R. Payson | 1849–1850 | | |style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 13th |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John C. Dodge | rowspan=2| 1850–1852 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 14th | | !scope="row"| George F. Foster | 1850–1851 | | Previously served in 6th ward |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 15th
| rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Robert Malcolm | rowspan=2| 1851–1853 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Andrew J. Brown | rowspan=2| 1852–1854 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 16th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 17th
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | rowspan=2| 50px ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Francis Hoffmann | rowspan=2| 1853–1854 | rowspan=2| Democratic | rowspan=2| |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| William H. Stickney | rowspan=2| 1854–1855 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2 style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 18th |
| |
!scope="row"| B.W. Thomas | 1854–1855 | | |
| |
! scope="row"| Samuel Ashton | 1855–1856 | | |style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 19th | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| ! rowspan=3 scope="row"| Stephen D. LaRue | rowspan=3| 1855–1858 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| |
| |
! scope="row"| Conrad L. Niehoff | 1856–1857 | | |style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 20th |
| rowspan=4|
| rowspan=4| 50px ! rowspan=4 scope="row"| Christian Wahl | rowspan=4| 1857–1861 | rowspan=4| | rowspan=4| |style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 21st |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 22nd
| rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Andrew Wright | rowspan=2| 1858–1860 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 23rd |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 24th
| rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Redmond Prindiville | rowspan=2| 1860–1862 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |
| |
! scope="row"| W.G. White | 1861–1862 | | | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 25th |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Charles L. Woodman | rowspan=2| 1862–1863 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| Redistricted to 16th ward in 1863 | rowspan=2 style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 26th | | !scope="row"| Redmond Sheridan | 1863 | | Redistricted from 10th ward |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Francis J. Ullbrich | rowspan=2| 1863–1864 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| Redistricted from 10th ward |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Richard Clark | rowspan=2| 1863–1865 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 27th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 28th
| rowspan=6| |rowspan=6| ! rowspan=6 scope="row"| Patrick Rafferty | rowspan=6| 1864–1869 | rowspan=6| | rowspan=6| |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| M.L. Frisbee | rowspan=2| 1865–1867 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 29th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 30th |
| rowspan=3 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |
| rowspan=3| 50px ! rowspan=3 scope="row"| John Comiskey | rowspan=3| 1867–1869 | rowspan=3| Democratic | rowspan=3| Previously served in 10th and 7th wards; redistricted to 9th ward in 1869 | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 31st |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 32nd |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 33rd |
| bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |
| 50px !scope="row"| James H. Hildreth | 1869–1870 | Redistricted from 7th ward | {{Cite web |date=7 April 1886 |title=Roll of the New Council, Including Holding-Over Aldermen and Those Elected Yesterday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=36889934 |access-date=20 July 2020 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}} | style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 34th | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| William S. Powell | rowspan=2| 1869–1871 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |
| rowspan=4|
| rowspan=4| ! rowspan=4 scope="row"| Michael B. Bailey | rowspan=4| 1870–1874 | rowspan=4| | rowspan=4| | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 35th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 36th
| rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Jeremiah Clowry | rowspan=2| 1871–1873 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 37th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 38th
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | rowspan=2| 50px ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| James H. Hildreth | rowspan=2| 1873–1876 | rowspan=2| Democratic | rowspan=2| Redistricted to 7th ward in 1876 |
| |
!scope="row"| Patrick C. McDonald | 1874–1875 | | | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 39th |
| rowspan=10 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |
| rowspan=10| 50px ! rowspan=10 scope="row"| Frank Lawler | rowspan=10| 1876–1886 | rowspan=10| Democratic | rowspan=10| Later elected alderman again in 1895 in 19th ward | rowspan=10| {{cite book |last1=Andreas |first1=Alfred Theodore |title=History of Chicago: From the fire of 1871 until 1885 |date=1886 |publisher=A. T. Andreas |pages=101–102; 865–870 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pw1FAQAAMAAJ |language=en}} | style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 40th | | !scope="row"| James O'Brien | 1876–1877 | | Previously served in 9th ward |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 41st
| rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Richard M. Oliver | rowspan=2| 1877–1879 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 42nd |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 43rd
| rowspan=6 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | rowspan=6| ! rowspan=6 scope="row"| Thomas Purcell | rowspan=6| 1879–1885 | rowspan=6| Democratic | rowspan=6| |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 44th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 45th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 46th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 47th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 48th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 49th
| rowspan=3 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | rowspan=3| 50px ! rowspan=3 scope="row"| Redmond F. Sheridan | rowspan=3| 1885–1888 | rowspan=3| Democratic | rowspan=3| Redistricted to 19th ward in 1888 |
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |
| rowspan=2| 50px ! rowspan=2 scope="row"|Lawrence A. Yore | rowspan=2| 1886–1888 | rowspan=2| Republican | rowspan=2| | style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 50th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 51st |
| bgcolor="{{party color|Independent Democrat}}" |
| !scope="row"| Charles A. Monear | 1888–1889 | Redistricted from 6th ward | {{cite book |title=Politics and Politicians of Chicago: Cook County, and Illinois. Memorial Volume, 1787-1887. A Complete Record of Municipal, County, State and National Politics from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. And an Account of the Haymarket Massacre of May 4, 1886, and the Anarchist Trials |date=1886 |publisher=Blakely Printing Company |page=515 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uZkGAAAAMAAJ |accessdate=20 July 2020 |language=en}} | style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 52nd | | !scope="row"| Joseph M. Weber | 1888–1889 | | Redistricted from 7th ward |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| George F. Bunker | rowspan=2| 1889–1891 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 53rd | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| ! rowspan=3 scope="row"| Frank J. Dvorak | rowspan=3|1889–1892 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 54th |
| rowspan=4|
| rowspan=4| 50px ! rowspan=4 scope="row"| Martin Morrison | rowspan=4| 1891–1895 | rowspan=4| | rowspan=4| | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 55th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 58th
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | rowspan=2|50px ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| William Loeffler | rowspan=2| 1892–1894 | rowspan=2| Democratic | rowspan=2| |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 57th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 58th
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Frank Slepicka | rowspan=2| 1894–1896 | rowspan=2| Democratic | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| {{Cite web |date=27 Jan 1896 |title=All Fond of the Council |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/668107697 |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 July 2021 |publisher=The Chicago Chronicle |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}} |
| rowspan=4|
| rowspan=4| ! rowspan=4 scope="row"| John Bennett | rowspan=4| 1895–1899 | rowspan=4| | rowspan=4| | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 59th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 60th
| rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Frank Meek | rowspan=2| 1896–1898 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 61st |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 62nd
| rowspan=3 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | rowspan=3| ! rowspan=3 scope="row"| Edward J. Novak | rowspan=3| 1898–1901 | rowspan=3| Democratic | rowspan=3| Redistricted to 10th ward in 1901 | rowspan=3| {{cite web |title=Board of Aldermen in Chicago Played a Role in Iroquois Theater Fire |url=https://www.iroquoistheater.com/chicago-aldermen-at-time-of-iroquois-theater-fire.php |website=www.iroquoistheater.com |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=en}} |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Michael S. Garry | rowspan=2| 1899–1901 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 63rd |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 64th |
| rowspan=5 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |
| rowspan=5| 50px ! rowspan=5 scope="row"| John Hugh Jones | rowspan=5| 1901–1906 | rowspan=5| Republican | rowspan=5| Redistricted from 33rd ward | rowspan=5| {{cite web |title=Board of Aldermen in Chicago Played a Role in Iroquois Theater Fire |url=https://www.iroquoistheater.com/chicago-aldermen-at-time-of-iroquois-theater-fire.php |website=www.iroquoistheater.com |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=en}} | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 65th | rowspan=8| | rowspan=8| 50px ! rowspan=8 scope="row"| P. H. Moynihan | rowspan=8| 1901–1909 | rowspan=8| | rowspan=8| |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 66th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 67rd |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 68th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 69th |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John S. Derpa | rowspan=2| 1906–1908 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| | style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 70th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 71st |
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |
| rowspan=2| 50px ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John Hugh Jones | rowspan=2| 1908–1910 | rowspan=2| Republican | rowspan=2| | style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 72nd |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 73rd
| rowspan=6 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | rowspan=6| ! rowspan=6 scope="row"| John R. Emerson | rowspan=6| 1909–1915 | rowspan=6| Democratic | rowspan=6| |
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John S. Derpa | rowspan=2| 1910–1912 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| | style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 74th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 75th |
| rowspan=5|
| rowspan=5| ! rowspan=5 scope="row"| Ernest M. Cross | rowspan=5| 1912–1917 | rowspan=5| | rowspan=5| Later elected alderman again in 1923 in 10th ward | style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 76th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 77th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 78th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 79th
| rowspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | | rowspan=2| ! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John E. Tyden | rowspan=2| 1915–1917 | rowspan=2| Republican | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| {{cite web |title=Council Makeup Vital Problem M. V. L. Warning |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/354970057 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=29 November 2024 |language=en |date=March 31, 1915}} |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 80th |
| rowspan=6 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |
| rowspan=6| ! rowspan=6 scope="row"| Ross A. Woodhull | rowspan=6| 1917–1923 | rowspan=6| Democratic | rowspan=6| | style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 81st | colspan=7 {{N/A}} |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 82nd
| rowspan=5 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | rowspan=5| ! rowspan=5 scope="row"| Martin S. Furman | rowspan=5| 1918–1923 | rowspan=5| Democratic | rowspan=5| | rowspan=5| {{cite web |title=The Common Council Full List of Aldermen Composing the Governing Body of the City of Chicago |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/668145924 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |publisher=Chicago Eagle at Newspapers.com |access-date=2 December 2024 |language=en |date=March 1, 1919}} |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 83rd |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 84th |
| style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 85th |
| style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 86th |
=Since 1923=
{{see also|List of Chicago alderpersons since 1923}}
Since 1923, wards have been represented by a single alderman. Elections have also been nonpartisan, though officeholders often still publicly affiliate with parties.
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" colspan="2"|Alderperson
!scope="col"|Term in office !scope="col" colspan="2" |Party !scope="col"|Notes !scope="col"|Cite |
|---|
| style="height:2em;"
|75px !scope="row"| William D. Meyering | 1923–1930 | bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | | {{cite news|title=Final Results on Aldermen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/355257315/ |url-access=subscription |work=Chicago Tribune |volume=82 |issue=81C |page=4 |date=April 4, 1923 |access-date=April 7, 2019 |via=Newspapers.com}} |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| David L. Sutton | | bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| Michael F. Mulcahy | | | | | |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| Roy E. Olin | | | | | |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| Einar Johnson | | | | | |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| James A. Condon | | | | | |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| William Cousins | 1967–1976 | bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | | |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| Marian Humes | | | | | |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| Keith Caldwell | | | | | |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| Lorraine Dixon | | | | Died in office | |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| Todd Stroger | 2001–2006 | bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | Appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley. Subsequently won election. Resigned in order to assume office as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners | |
| style="height:2em;"
| !scope="row"| Michelle A. Harris | 2006–present | bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | | Appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley, subsequently has won election to several terms |
Demographics
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Electoral history
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References
{{reflist}}{{More categories|date=January 2025}}