Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

ELECTIONS 2023: 48th Ward candidate Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth speaks about her run-off race
by Carrie Maxwell
2023-03-15

This article shared 2366 times since Wed Mar 15, 2023
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Note: The following interview is part of Windy City Times' ongoing coverage of LGBTQ+ candidates in the 2023 Chicago municipal elections. The run-off election takes place Tuesday, April 4.

Following the Feb. 28 primary election—where 10 candidates were vying to replace the retiring three-term incumbent Ald. Harry Osterman—queer-identified lifelong Chicagoan and Chicago Dance Supply small business owner Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth and lifelong Chicagoan and affordable housing focused Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation Real Estate Development Vice President Joe Dunne were the top two vote-getters.

The two candidates now face one another in the April 4 run-off. Manaa-Hoppenworth's endorsements include Chicago Mayoral candidate and current Cook County Board Commissioner Brandon Johnson, Illinois state Sen. Celina Villanueva, Illinois state Rep. Theresa Mah, former Chicago Mayor and Cook County Clerk David Orr, former U.S. Rep. Marie Newman, former U.S. Rep. candidate for the 7th Congressional district and gun violence prevention advocate Kina Collins, the LGBTQ Victory Fund, Indivisible Illinois, Chicago National Organization for Women PAC and the Illinois Nurses Association, among others.

Dunne's endorsements include Osterman, former Gov. Pat Quinn, Ald. Mary Ann Smith, former Illinois state Sen. Heather Steans, former Illinois state Rep. Greg Harris, Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, AFSCME, Chicago Federation of Labor and Illinois SEIU, among others.

Should Manaa-Hoppenworth win, she would become the first Filipina member of Chicago's City Council. The 48th Ward includes most of Edgewater, the east side of Andersonville and a little bit of Uptown.

Windy City Times: What do you think made you stand out among the other nine candidates to ensure that you would make it to the run-off?

Leni-Manaa-Hoppenworth: This is a local office and all politics are ultimately local in nature. This is a relational race and I pulled ahead because I got myself in front of people. I had one-on-one conversations with voters at the train station, their doors and on the phone. It takes a while to do, but it is really the way you win races.

The fantastic endorsements I got at the end helped me immensely. I worked with many of those people who endorsed me at Indivisible Illinois. They helped talk me up and get the funding and other resources I needed, including reaching voters living in the high rises in the ward. Our team did the work to get to the voters and make them aware that there was an election coming up. The voters responded because they heard what I was about.

Equity is at the center of my campaign and that resonated with them. I also believe one of the reasons we pulled ahead was because of vote-by-mail and early voting options. I am really proud of all the things we did together.

WCT: What did you learn about yourself and campaigning in general over the course of these last few months?

LMH: Campaigning is really difficult, grueling and intense. I learned that I have the energy, stamina and inner drive within myself to do the hard work to become an elected official. This is something I wanted to do for these reasons and my candidacy matters to many people.

Helping candidates get out the vote like I have done in the past is one thing, but actually being a candidate is something very different. To have convictions that you share with your team, so they can amplify why you are running in the first place, takes a lot of time.

I have come to learn that local offices should be held by people who are invested in their communities, including people like me who care and have been involved as a volunteer for many organizations—including the chamber of commerce, because I am a small business owner—[and] at my kid's neighborhood public school, and with civic groups, especially after the 2016 presidential elections, where our goal was to hold our then-president accountable.

I have also learned what I have done in the ward over the course of the many years I have lived here adds up to a lot, and people remember me. This includes stories from people who have come to my dance shop over the years.

Until you run for public office you really do not know how many people you really need to know to be successful. Getting the word out about a candidacy, especially in a race like mine where you had 10 people running for a vacancy, is a fascinating process. This has never happened in this ward before, where people had an actual choice.

It was interesting to me to see the people who chose to run for office in this race. I thought we had a better handle on women getting involved in elections. I thought we were going to see more women running. We did not have any trans people running in this ward, although we have a high population of LGBTQ people who live here. I would like to see that happen, because I believe that representation matters. One of the reasons why I ran is because I did not see myself represented in the way I wanted to in the candidates that were out there.

Originally, I was going to run for the police district council which is an historic position. I went through the training because I was interested in serving in that capacity. When I learned that Osterman was retiring, I decided to run for this race after many people encouraged me to run and I talked it over with my family.

WCT: I noticed that Dunne does not have LGBTQ issues listed as one of his categories of priorities on his campaign website whereas you do. What do you think that says about both of you as candidates?

LMH: As a queer woman it is important for me to let people know I see you. That the reason the platform is there for people to read is because I want the voters to hold me accountable when I become an elected official, so we can move on progressive issues together. Also, if there is something missing, I would like to know during this campaign so we can work together to include more specific LGBTQ policy issues moving forward.

I cannot speak to my opponent about why that is not a priority for him. Maybe it is because he does not have the lived experience, because none of his family members are members of the LGBTQ community. Maybe it is because although he was a leader in the local school counsel at the public school, he does not realize that this community has a lot of LGBTQ people living here. Maybe he presumes that he is just going to represent everybody and everything will be fine, but for me, for far too long, people like myself have been on the margins. When people on the margins are centered, everybody does better.

WCT: Why do you think your policies on economic development, housing, transportation, healthcare and public safety would be better for 48th Ward residents?

LMH: If equity and the community's needs are at the center of all of your policy platforms, then you are always going to find a way to the best solution. I have the lived experience of being a woman, queer person and daughter of Filipino immigrants and as a small business owner, artist, dancer, Cook County Healthcare system worker, licensed physical therapist and SEIU local union member. No matter what the issue is, I am going to bring my varied background to the table, and that matters. I believe I have more empathy for others since I come from intersecting marginalized communities.

This is the kind of thing that is really needed in the city council and really world-wide. Many people are on edge, because things are really unstable in housing, healthcare and food security, among other issues. What we learned from the pandemic is, if there is empathy, it creates stronger communities, and we need to continue to live in our values. That is what I will bring to Chicago's city council.

WCT: Who are you endorsing for mayor?

LMH: I am endorsing Brandon Johnson.

WCT: Why should voters choose you over Dunne to represent them?

LMH: I love this ward and this office is an opportunity to lead in the 48th Ward on so many issues, including mental health supports, housing for all and public safety. I have the heart, drive and passion to bring people together and we need this in Chicago right now.

WCT: Do you have any get out the vote events planned in the coming weeks? If so, where can voters find that information?

LMH: I will be having a GOTV comedy showcase at the Glenwood, 6962 North Glenwood Ave., March 38 at 8:00 p.m., featuring a number of LGBTQ comics. The free event is first come, first serve. No RVSP required. More information will be available on the campaign website.

See www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/ELECTIONS-2023-48th-Ward-candidate-Leni-Manaa-Hoppenworth-on-why-running-biggest-differences-from-other-challengers/74588.html and lenifor48th.com/ .


This article shared 2366 times since Wed Mar 15, 2023
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course 2024-03-18
- Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools 2024-03-15
- In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


Gay News

PASSAGES: Former Chicago Commission on Human Relations chair Clarence Wood 2024-03-13
- LGBTQ ally and former Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) Chair and Commissioner Clarence N. Wood died March 5. He was 83. Wood was born April 14, 1940, in Alabama. While primarily raised in Alabama, Wood ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77 2024-03-12
- On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner 2024-03-12
--From a press release - Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...


Gay News

Florida settles 'Don't Say Gay' lawsuit 2024-03-11
- On March 11, the state of Florida settled a multi-year lawsuit against the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, which limits how LGBTQ+ topics can be discussed and presented in schools, The Hill reported. The settlement agreement ...


Gay News

ELECTIONS 2024 Precious Brady-Davis says climate change is top issue as she runs to finish appointed MWRD term 2024-03-08
- Precious Brady-Davis, commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), is one of several candidates running to fill three seats on the board in the March 19 election. Brady-Davis was appointed to the role last summer ...


Gay News

ELECTIONS 2024 MWRD's Marcelino Garcia discusses flooding, land use and LGBTQ+ inclusion 2024-03-08
- Marcelina Garcia, commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), is one of several candidates in the running to fill three seats on the board in the March 19 election. Garcia, who chair's the MWRD's Finance ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Altercation, mpox research, Univ. of Fla., George Santos, tech battle 2024-03-08
- Video footage uploaded to Facebook showed an altercation between a state trooper and two prominent Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leaders, the Washington Blade reported, republishing an article from Philadelphia Gay News. Celena ...


Gay News

LPAC celebrates historic wins for LGBTQ+ candidates in Super Tuesday primaries 2024-03-06
- From a press release: Washington, DC—Today, LPAC,the nation's leading organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary candidates to public office, proudly announces the outstanding victories of 67% of endorsed candidates ...


Gay News

Illinois's first openly gay elected official voices support for Cunningham 2024-03-05
- Judge Thomas Chiola, who served in the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County from 1994-2009, has officially endorsed Justice Joy Cunningham for reelection to the Illinois Supreme Court. Chiola is the first gay man to be ...


Gay News

Sinema retiring from the U.S. Senate 2024-03-05
- Kyrsten Sinema—the bisexual U.S. senator from Arizona who recently switched from being a Democrat to an independent—announced that she will not run for re-election this year, ...


Gay News

WORLD Canadian politics, Australian murders, Finnish study, 'Anatomy' 2024-03-01
- Canadian conservatives are divided over an anti-trans policy that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith handed down in her province, The Guardian reported. The policy includes a ban on hormonal treatment, puberty ...


Gay News

Ghana parliament passes harsh anti-LGBTQ+ bill 2024-02-29
- On Feb. 28, Ghana's parliament unanimously passed a controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill that has been condemned globally. The so-called Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act, which was introduced in the parliament in 2021, not only criminalizes ...


Gay News

Anti-LGBTQ+ Republican McConnell to step down from leading U.S. Senate 2024-02-29
- U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) will step down from Senate leadership in November, having served in that capacity longer than any senator in history, The Advocate noted. McConnell has been a senator since 1985 and has ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.