Interview with Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza

“I’m Living Proof that Each Person’s Vote Does Count!”

So said Alderperson Susan Sadlowski Garza (10th Ward) during her interview conducted by Annie Logue, which premiered on June 10 as part of the League’s “Zooming with the Aldermen” series. Ald. Garza explained that in her first run as alderwoman, there was a runoff election between her and the then sitting aldermen. She won by just 22 votes! 

Her experience with the campaign between the February and April run-off elections is one reason she looks favorably on the concept of ranked choice voting. Ald. Garza said the amount of money that had to be spent for that run-off campaign was ridiculous, and could have had so many better uses.  

Watch the full interview above or read on for more highlights:

• Redistricting: Ald. Garza favors utilizing an independent commission to take the politics out of it.

  Top 10th Ward issues: Jobs! The 10th Ward was home to the steel mills, and when they closed down, there went the jobs, not only in industry but in retail and restaurants. And because of those left-over brown fields, health issues are a close second.

• “Phoenix rising from the ashes”: Nevertheless, that is how she describes the 10th Ward, pointing out that Ford Motor Co. has brought 600 new jobs, along with three new warehouse projects and 42 new businesses. Furthermore, the 10th Ward is home to the only state park within Chicago, the William W. Powers State Recreation Area. Ald. Garza invites everyone to contact her office to take a “taste of the 10th” tour, which she herself leads, to see the contrast between industry and nature in her ward.

• Key change she would like to see made: Bring trade education back to the schools. College isn’t for everyone, and there are many well-paid jobs in the trades. If you can’t put food on the table, you don’t have time to worry about other things like voting.