Chicago City Council Democratic Socialist Caucus
{{Infobox political party
| name = Democratic Socialist Caucus
| foundation = {{start date and age|2021}}
| leader1_title = Chair
| leader1_name = Carlos Ramirez-Rosa
| seats1_title = Seats in Chicago City Council
| ideology = Democratic socialism
| position = Left-wing
| seats1 = {{composition bar|6|50}}
| colorcode = Red
}}
The Democratic Socialist Caucus of the Chicago City Council is a bloc of aldermen in the Chicago City Council. The block was unofficially organized as the Socialist Caucus in 2019, and later organized as a formal caucus with its current name in 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://news.wttw.com/2019/07/03/city-council-caucus-chairs-chicago-future|title=City Council Caucus Chairs on Chicago's Future|last=Blumberg|first=Nick|date=2019-07-03|website=WTTW News|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-07-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://jacobinmag.com/2019/04/democratic-socialists-america-chicago-rossana-rodriguez-carlos-rosa-chicago-teachers-union|title=A Socialist Wave in Chicago|last=Bloom|first=Will|date=2019-04-03|website=jacobinmag.com|language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-07-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bettergov.org/news/what-the-gov-what-does-it-mean-to-have-six-democratic-socialists-on-the-chicago-city-council/|title=What The Gov: What Does It Mean To Have Six Democratic Socialists on the Chicago City Council?|last=Sato|first=Mia|date=2019-07-02|website=Better Government Association|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-07-25}}{{Cite web|last=Kapos|first=Shia|date=2021-05-03|title=BUSTOS' EXIT AND THE REMAP — DUCKWORTH'S DUCKS IN A ROW — SCHOOL BOARD HEAD-TURNER|url=https://politi.co/3nHSvOy|access-date=2021-05-03|website=POLITICO|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Democratic Socialists ratify 5-member City Council caucus to make policy work 'that much more effective'|url=https://www.thedailyline.com/democratic-socialists-ratify-5member-city-council-caucus-to-make-policy-work-that-much-more-effective|access-date=2021-05-05|website=The Daily Line}} It currently has six members, out of the 50 aldermen that comprise the Council.{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Joe Ward, Alex V. Hernandez, Maxwell |date=2023-03-06 |title=Chicago's Progressive Alderpeople Retain Seats, Look To Expand Influence On City Council — And Even Mayor's Race |url=http://blockclubchicago.org/2023/03/06/chicagos-progressive-alderpeople-retain-seats-look-to-expand-influence-on-city-council-and-even-mayors-race/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=Block Club Chicago |language=en-US}} Members of the caucus identify as democratic socialists.{{Cite web |title=New City Council includes an apparent record number of women to be sworn in, overall progressive shift |url=https://www.thedailyline.com/city-council-record-women-sworn-in-progressive-shift |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=The Daily Line}}
History
The caucus was initially organized as the Socialist Caucus following the 2019 Chicago aldermanic election by six aldermen, all of whom were members of the Chicago chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. All six members also joined the larger Progressive Reform Caucus. The two caucuses pursue similar policy goals, but the Socialist Caucus' stated goal is to push a wider and more aggressive range of left-wing policies. When asked about the distinction between the two caucuses in a July 2019 interview, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa provided the example of a municipal takeover of the electric utility company ComEd as one distinctive policy that the Socialist Caucus would pursue.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, members of the caucus called for a wide-ranging recovery package including an paid emergency leave, emergency housing, an end to ICE check-ins, and weekly payments to workers and families.{{Cite web|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Rossana|last2=Ramirez-Rosa|first2=Carlos|last3=Sigcho Lopez|first3=Byron|last4=La Spata|first4=Daniel|last5=Taylor|first5=Jeanette|date=2020-03-16|title=If we want everybody to stay home during a coronavirus crisis, we need deep change to make that possible|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/3/16/21181845/chicago-city-council-progressive-caucus-democratic-socialists-coronavirus-illinois-recovery-all|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316214051/https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/3/16/21181845/chicago-city-council-progressive-caucus-democratic-socialists-coronavirus-illinois-recovery-all |archive-date=2020-03-16 |access-date=2020-06-09|website=Chicago Sun-Times|language=en}} During the George Floyd protests, the caucus called for cutting funding to the Chicago Police Department and increasing funding for programs such as substance-abuse treatment, mental health care and after-school programs.{{Cite web|first1=Daniel|last1=La Spata|first2=Jeannette|last2=Taylor|first3=Byron|last3=Sigcho Lopez|first4=Rossana|last4=Rodriguez Sanchez|first5=Carlos|last5=Ramirez Rosa|first6=Andre|last6=Vasquez|date=2020-06-08|title=Cutting funding for police could lead to a better and safer Chicago|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/6/8/21284037/chicago-police-department-unfunding-cpd-city-council-budget|access-date=2020-06-09|website=Chicago Sun-Times|language=en}}
On May 1, 2021, five members of the group formally organized as the Democratic Socialist Caucus, with Ramirez-Rosa serving as the chair.{{Cite web|last=Chicago's Democratic Socialist Caucus|date=2021-05-01|title=Today, May 1, 2021, we're announcing the formal creation of the Democratic Socialist Caucus of the Chicago City Council.|url=https://twitter.com/chisocialists/status/1388524977616474121|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-03|website=Twitter|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502011544/https://twitter.com/ChiSocialists/status/1388524977616474121 |archive-date=2021-05-02 }}
Membership
The following table lists current aldermen who are affiliated with the caucus since its formal organization in 2021. Andre Vasquez was also a member of the caucus when it was unofficially organized in 2019, but was not part of the founding membership in 2021.
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}