The Chicago aldermanic runoff races that were initially too close to call have been settledand lesbian Ald. Deb Mell ( 33rd Ward ) is out while gay Ald. James Cappleman ( 46th ) narrowly retained his seat on the City Council.
In a media statement about her win over Mell, Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez said, "This victory did not come out of nowhere. It came from years of organizing workby the labor movement, by our immigrant communities, by women, queer and trans people, by neighbors working together for social, racial, and economic justice. What this election showed is that organizing works.
"When working people come together, there is no limit to what we can achieve. We can win good lives for all of us, not just the wealthy and well-connected.
"I look forward to taking my seat next month alongside my fellow Democratic Socialists of America and United Working Families members in a reinvigorated City Council. We are going to take our communities' calls for change into City Hall and fight for a Chicago for the many and not the few."
The number of LGBTQ members on the Chicago City Council remains the same as before the 2019 elections ( five ), thanks to queer candidate Maria Hadden's victory over longtime incumbent Joe Moore ( 49th ). The other members are Raymond Lopez ( 15th ), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa ( 35th ) and Tom Tunney ( 44th ).