Michelle A. Harris

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Michelle Harris

|office = Member of the Chicago City Council
from the 8th ward

|term_start = December 13, 2006

|term_end =

|predecessor = Todd Stroger

|successor =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|12|13}}

|birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|education = Chicago State University (BA)

}}

Michelle A. Harris (born December 13, 1961) is an American politician who is the alderperson of Chicago's 8th ward{{Cite web|url=http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/about/wards/08.html|title = Ward 8}} and the chair of the Chicago City Council's rules committee.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-fbi-chicago-aldermen-edit-1119-20151118-story.html|title = With Chicago City Council watchdog gone, the FBI's sniffing around| website=Chicago Tribune | date=19 November 2015 }}{{Cite web|title = Michelle Harris: Stroger protege who earned the chance to trade council seat for clerk's office - Chicago|url = http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/1040951/michelle-harris-stroger-family-protege-earned-right-vacate-city-council-hot-seat|website = Chicago|access-date = 2015-11-23|language = en-US|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151123091436/http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/1040951/michelle-harris-stroger-family-protege-earned-right-vacate-city-council-hot-seat|archive-date = 2015-11-23}}

Early life and education

Harris was raised on the south side of Chicago where she attended Chicago Vocational High School and Chicago State University.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/Chicago-City-Council-Michelle-A-Harris-132010198.html|title=Chicago City Council: Michelle A. Harris|date=17 October 2011 }}

Aldermanic career

Harris began her aldermanic career in 2006.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/Chicago-City-Council-Michelle-A-Harris-132010198.html|title=Chicago City Council: Michelle A. Harris|date=17 October 2011 }} She was appointed by mayor Richard M. Daley to fill the vacancy left after Todd Stroger retired to become President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. On December 13, 2006, Michelle Harris was confirmed as Alderwoman by the Chicago City Council and sworn in.{{cite journal|last=Del Valle|first=Miguel (City Clerk)|title=Regular Meeting on December 13th 2006 Volume 1|pages=93985–93986|date=December 13, 2006|journal=Journal of Proceedings of the Chicago City Council|access-date=May 10, 2022|url=https://chicityclerk.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/document_uploads/journals-proceedings/2006/121306VI.pdf}} Harris has subsequently been reelected in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019.

In 2014, she had expressed support for a proposed marijuana dispensary on 87th street{{Cite web|url=http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/11/20/plan-pulled-for-medical-marijuana-dispensary-on-south-side/|title = Plan Pulled for Medical-Marijuana Dispensary on South Side|date = 20 November 2015}} and by 2015 had changed her opinion on the issue.{{Cite web|title = Chatham Pot Clinic Faces City Hearing as Residents, Alderman Fight It|url = https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151119/calumet-heights/chatham-pot-clinic-goes-hearing-with-community-aldermans-opposition|website = DNAinfo Chicago|access-date = 2015-11-23|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151123091442/https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151119/calumet-heights/chatham-pot-clinic-goes-hearing-with-community-aldermans-opposition|archive-date = 2015-11-23}} Also in 2014, she was investigated by the Illinois Attorney General for violating Illinois' Open Meetings Act{{Cite web|title = Is Alderman Playing by the Rules?|url = http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2014/10/17/alderman-playing-rules|website = Chicago Tonight {{!}} WTTW|access-date = 2015-11-23}} for failure to give adequate notice that two referendums were to be on a public meetings agenda. In 2015 she "demanded" along with 14 other African-American aldermen,{{Cite web|title = Michelle Harris: Stroger protege who earned the chance to trade council seat for clerk's office - Chicago|url = http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/1040951/michelle-harris-stroger-family-protege-earned-right-vacate-city-council-hot-seat|website = Chicago|access-date = 2015-11-23|language = en-US|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151123091436/http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/1040951/michelle-harris-stroger-family-protege-earned-right-vacate-city-council-hot-seat|archive-date = 2015-11-23}} that Mayor Rahm Emanuel fire Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy due to inefficacy in combating murders in her ward.{{Cite web|title = African-American aldermen call on Emanuel to fire top cop|url = http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-black-aldermen-call-for-mccarthy-firing-met-1006-20151005-story.html|website = chicagotribune.com| date=5 October 2015 |access-date = 2015-11-23}}

In an article titled "The Big Spenders—and What They Charged", Chicago magazine lists out the most egregious examples of luxurious spending of campaign contributions by Illinois politicians. Harris, for example, is cited for used her campaign account in the amount of $3,849 for airfare to Turkey in 2012.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-2013/Lawmakers-Gone-Wild-The-Biggest-Offenders-and-What-They-Charged/|title=The Big Spenders—and What They Charged|last=Bernstein|first=David|date=2012-12-14|website=Chicago Magazine|publisher=|access-date=2016-09-16}}

In the runoff of the 2019 Chicago mayoral election, Harris endorsed Toni Preckwinkle against her opponent Lori Lightfoot.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/chicago-mayor-race-endorsements-507305521.html |title=List of Endorsements in the Race for Chicago Mayor |publisher=NBC Chicago |date= 18 March 2019|access-date=April 2, 2019}} However, Harris has since served as Mayor Lightfoot's floor leader during her mayoralty,{{cite web |last1=Cherone |first1=Heather |title=Push to Force Chicago Public Schools CEO to Testify at City Council Committee Hearing Fails |url=https://news.wttw.com/2022/11/09/push-force-chicago-public-schools-ceo-testify-city-council-committee-hearing-fails |website=WTTW News |access-date=31 January 2023 |language=en |date=November 9, 2022}} being a City Council ally of Lightfoot.{{cite web |title=Emerging 2023 Chicago alderman field not all woke candidates |url=https://nadignewspapers.com/emergin-2023-chicago-alderman-field-not-all-woke-candidates/ |website=Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers |access-date=31 January 2023 |date=21 September 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Yin |first1=Alice |title=Chicago Ald. Leslie Hairston says she turned down Mayor Lightfoot's request to serve as ethics chair: 'I am not a product of the machine' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-leslie-hairston-ethics-committee-lightfoot-chair-20221207-cvko5aixwzdllcznx6uubvq7ea-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=31 January 2023 |date=December 7, 2022}}

2016 clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County campaign

In 2016, Harris challenged incumbent Dorothy A. Brown in the Democratic primary for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County.{{cite web |title=Michelle Harris: Clerk of the Circuit Court Candidate |url=https://news.wttw.com/2016/02/18/michelle-harris-clerk-circuit-court-candidate |publisher=WTTW News |access-date=19 February 2020 |language=en |date=18 February 2016}} Harris lost the primary, receiving 307,392 votes (30.53%) to Brown's 477,503 (47.43%), with the remaining 221,921 votes (22.04%) going to Jacob Meister.{{cite web |title= Suburban Cook County Election Results March 15, 2016 Presidential Primary Election Clerk of the Circuit Court, Cook County Township & Precinct Results |url=https://results316.cookcountyclerk.com/Detail.aspx?eid=31516&rid=102&vfor=1&twpftr=0 |publisher=Cook County Clerk's Office |access-date=19 February 2020}}{{cite web |title=2016 Primary - DEM - 3/15/16 |url=https://chicagoelections.gov/en/election-results.asp?election=5 |publisher=Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago |access-date=19 February 2020}}

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change | title=2007 Chicago 8th Ward aldermanic election{{cite web |title= 2007 Municipal General - 2/27/07 |url=https://chicagoelections.gov/en/election-results.asp?election=65 |access-date=20 February 2020}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Michelle A. Harris (incumbent)

|votes = 8,446

|percentage = 60.58

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Joseph McAfee

|votes = 1,260

|percentage = 9.04

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Faheem Shabazz

|votes = 1,182

|percentage = 8.48

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Cliff Underwood

|votes = 1,055

|percentage = 7.57

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Derrick T. Prince

|votes = 768

|percentage = 5.51

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Van B. Newell Jr.

|votes = 553

|percentage = 3.97

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Dennis Allen

|votes = 346

|percentage = 2.48

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Sharon Ann Adams

|votes = 333

|percentage = 2.39

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 13,943

| percentage = 100

}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2011 Chicago 8th Ward aldermanic election{{cite web |title=2011 Municipal General - 2/22/11 |url=https://chicagoelections.gov/en/election-results.asp?election=25 |access-date=20 February 2020}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Michelle A. Harris (incumbent)

|votes = 10,395

|percentage = 68.38

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Faheem Shabazz

|votes = 2,215

|percentage = 14.57

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = James L. Daniels

|votes = 1,879

|percentage = 12.36

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Bertha F. Starks

|votes = 713

|percentage = 4.69

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 15,202

| percentage = 100

}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2015 Chicago 8th Ward aldermanic election{{cite web |title=2015 Municipal General - 2/24/15

|url=https://chicagoelections.gov/en/election-results.asp?election=10&race=13 |access-date=10 February 2020}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Michelle A. Harris (incumbent)

|votes = 9,167

|percentage = 68.53

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Faheem Shabazz

|votes = 2,113

|percentage = 15.80

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Tara F. Baldridge

|votes = 2,096

|percentage = 15.67

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 13,376

| percentage = 100

}}

{{Election box begin no change| title= 2016 Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Democratic primary{{cite web |title= Suburban Cook County Election Results March 15, 2016 Presidential Primary Election Clerk of the Circuit Court, Cook County Township & Precinct Results |url=https://results316.cookcountyclerk.com/Detail.aspx?eid=31516&rid=102&vfor=1&twpftr=0 |publisher=Cook County Clerk's Office |access-date=19 February 2020}}{{cite web |title=2016 Primary - DEM - 3/15/16 |url=https://chicagoelections.gov/en/election-results.asp?election=5 |publisher=Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago |access-date=19 February 2020}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|candidate= Dorothy A. Brown (incumbent)

|party=Democratic Party (United States)

|votes= 477,503

|percentage= 47.43

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|candidate= Michelle A. Harris

|party=Democratic Party (United States)

|votes= 307,392

|percentage= 30.53

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|candidate= Jacob Meister

|party=Democratic Party (United States)

|votes= 221,921

|percentage= 22.04

}}

{{Election box total no change

|votes= 1,006,816

|percentage= 100

}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2019 Chicago 8th Ward aldermanic election{{cite web |title=2019 Municipal General - 2/26/19 |url=https://chicagoelections.gov/en/election-results.asp?election=210&race=13 |publisher=Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago |access-date=3 February 2020}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Michelle A. Harris (incumbent)

|votes = 8,723

|percentage = 64.35

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Linda Hudson

|votes = 2,356

|percentage = 17.38

}}