Ward Committeepeople and Township Committeepeople are political party officials who serve many standard committeemen duties on behalf of their political party in Cook County, Illinois.
The city of Chicago, the largest municipality in Cook County, elects committeepeople (known as "committeemen" until 2018) from each of its 50 wards. [1] [2] [3] [4] Each of the 30 suburban civil townships in Cook County also elect committeepeople from each township. [1] [5] [6] Each established party in Cook County, currently Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians, elects its own committeeperson.
Elections for Chicago ward committeepeople coincide with the primaries for presidential candidates, [7] while elections for township committeepeople coincide with primaries for gubernatorial candidates.
The positions are unpaid, with responsibilities that include voter registration, community forums, election materials, and election operations. [1] In Chicago, the committeepeople are responsible for producing smooth political processes during the elections in their wards, which includes attempting to produce high voter turnout. [8]
Committeepeople are voting members in the political organization of their party in the County. [8] This role gives them authority on behalf of the party to select replacements for some vacated political posts such as United States Representative and state legislators. Replacements for some other vacancies are selected through other processes: vacated United States Senate posts are appointed by the Illinois Governor and vacated Chicago City Council posts are appointed by the Mayor of Chicago. [9] [10] [11]
Operationally in Chicago, the committeeperson plays an important role in ward politics. The post of alderman and committeeperson are often closely linked: sometimes the former controls the latter and sometimes the same person holds both posts. [1] In many cases, the committeeman also has influence over the doling out of jobs, favors, and services around the ward. Sometimes a committeeperson accumulates sufficient influence to place their loyalists into political positions outside of the ward. [1]
As of March 2024. [12]
| Constituency (ward or township) | Name | Start | Other Office(s) Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Ward | Daniel La Spata | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2019–present) |
| 2nd Ward | Tim Egan | 2016 | None |
| 3rd Ward | Pat Dowell | 2008 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2007–present) |
| 4th Ward | Toni Preckwinkle | 1992 [13] | Chair of the Cook County Democratic Party (2018–present), President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners (2010–present), Member of the Chicago City Council (1991–2010) |
| 5th Ward | Leslie Hairston | 2000 | Member of the Chicago City Council (1999–2023) |
| 6th Ward | Roderick Sawyer | 2012 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2011–2023) |
| 7th Ward | Greg Mitchell | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2015–present) |
| 8th Ward | Michelle Harris | 2008 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2006–present) |
| 9th Ward | Anthony Beale | 2000 | Member of the Chicago City Council (1999–present) |
| 10th Ward | Susan Sadlowski Garza | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2015–2023) |
| 11th Ward | John Daley | 1980 [14] | Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners (1992–present), Member of the Illinois Senate (1989–1992), Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (1985–1989) |
| 12th Ward | George Cardenas | 2020 | Member of the Cook County Board of Review (2022–present), Member of the Chicago City Council (2003–2022) |
| 13th Ward | Mike Madigan | 1972 [14] | Chair of the Illinois Democratic Party (1998–2021), Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives (1997–2021, 1983–1995), Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives (1995–1997, 1981–1983), Majority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives (1977–1981), Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (1971–2021) |
| 14th Ward | Aarón Ortíz | 2020 | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2019–present) |
| 15th Ward | Ray Lopez | 2012 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2015–present) |
| 16th Ward | Stephanie Coleman | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2019–present) |
| 17th Ward | David Moore | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2015–present) |
| 18th Ward | Derrick Curtis | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2015–present) |
| 19th Ward | Matt O'Shea | 2012 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2011–present) |
| 20th Ward | Mattie Hunter | 2020 | Member of the Illinois Senate (2003–present) |
| 21st Ward | Howard Brookins | 2004 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2003–2023) |
| 22nd Ward | Mike Rodriguez | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2019–present) |
| 23rd Ward | Silvana Tabares | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2018–present), Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2013–2018) |
| 24th Ward | Michael Scott | 2016 | Member of the Chicago Board of Education (2022–present), Member of the Chicago City Council (2015–2022) |
| 25th Ward | Byron Sigcho-Lopez | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2019–present) |
| 26th Ward | Angee Gonzalez Rodriguez | 2020 | None |
| 27th Ward | Walter Burnett | 2013 [15] | Vice Mayor of Chicago (2023–present), Member of the Chicago City Council (1995–present) |
| 28th Ward | Jason Ervin | 2012 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2011–present) |
| 29th Ward | Chris Taliaferro | 2016 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2015–present) |
| 30th Ward | Ariel Reboyras | 2006 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2003–2023) |
| 31st Ward | Felix Cardona | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2019–present) |
| 32nd Ward | Scott Waguespack | 2012 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2007–present) |
| 33nd Ward | Iris Martinez | 2020 | Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County (2020–2024), Member of the Illinois Senate (2003–2020) |
| 34th Ward | Bill Conway | 2024 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2023–present) |
| 35th Ward | Carlos Ramirez-Rosa | 2022 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2015–present) |
| 36th Ward | Gil Villegas | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2015–present) |
| 37th Ward | Emma Mitts | 2004 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2000–present) |
| 38th Ward | Rob Martwick | 2017 [16] | Member of the Illinois Senate (2019–present), Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2013–2019) |
| 39th Ward | Ram Villivalam | 2019 | Member of the Illinois Senate (2019–present) |
| 40th Ward | Maggie O'Keefe | 2020 | None |
| 41st Ward | Joe Cook | 2020 | None |
| 42nd Ward | Brendan Reilly | 2008 | President pro tempore of the Chicago City Council (2019–2023), Vice Mayor of Chicago (2015–2019), Member of the Chicago City Council (2007–present) |
| 43rd Ward | Lucy Moog | 2016 | None |
| 44th Ward | Tom Tunney | 2004 | Vice Mayor of Chicago (2019–2023), Member of the Chicago City Council (2003–2023) |
| 45th Ward | Jim Gardiner | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2019–present) |
| 46th Ward | Sean Tenner | 2018 | None [17] |
| 47th Ward | Paul Rosenfeld | 2015 | None |
| 48th Ward | Harry Osterman | 2020 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2011–2023), Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2000–2011) |
| 49th Ward | Kelly Cassidy | 2019 | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2011–present) |
| 50th Ward | Debra Silverstein | 2019 | Member of the Chicago City Council (2011–present) |
| Barrington Township | Robert Steffen | Member of the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board [18] | |
| Berwyn Township | Robert Lovero | Mayor of Berwyn [19] | |
| Bloom Township | Monica Gordon | Cook County clerk | |
| Bremen Township | Vernard Alsberry | Hazelcrest Village President [20] | |
| Calumet Township | Bob Rita | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2003–present) | |
| Cicero Township | Larry Dominick | ||
| Elk Grove Township | Ted Mason | None | |
| Evanston | Daniel Biss | 2024 | Mayor of Evanston (2021-present), Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2011-2013), Member of the Illinois Senate (2013-2019) |
| Hanover Township | Adriana Barriga-Green | ||
| Lemont Township | Kvin Ameriks | ||
| Leyden Township | Barrett Pedersen | Mayor of Franklin Park [21] | |
| Lyons Township | Steven Landek | Member of the Illinois Senate (2011–present) | |
| Maine Township | Laura Murphy | Member of the Illinois Senate (2015–present) | |
| New Trier Township | Dean Maragos | None | |
| Niles Township | Josina Morita | ||
| Northfield Township | Tracy Katz Muhl | None | |
| Norwood Park Township | Frank Avino | None | |
| Oak Park Township | Don Harmon | President of the Illinois Senate (2020–present), President pro tempore of the Illinois Senate (2011–2019), Member of the Illinois Senate (2003–present) | |
| Orland Township | Beth McElroy Kirkwood | ||
| Palatine Township | Maria Galo | None | |
| Palos Township | Robert Maloney | None | |
| Proviso Township | Karen Yarbrough | Acting Chair of the Illinois Democratic Party (2021), Clerk of Cook County (2018–present), Cook County Recorder of Deeds (2012–2018), Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2001–2012) | |
| Rich Township | Calvin Jordan | Rich Township Highway Inspector, Trustee of Rich Township Schools, and member of Village of Hazel Crest Economic Development Board [22] | |
| River Forest Township | Cathy Adduci | ||
| Riverside Township | Micheal Zalewski | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2008–2023) | |
| Schaumburg Township | Mike Cudzik | None | |
| Stickney Township | Vincent Cainkar | None | |
| Thornton Township | Napoleon Harris | Member of the Illinois Senate (2013–present) | |
| Wheeling Township | Mark Walker | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2019–present, 2009–2011) | |
| Worth Township | Patricia Murphy | None |
As of December 2024. [23] [24]
| Constituency (ward or township) | Name | Start | Other Office(s) Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Ward | Vacant | ||
| 2nd Ward | CJ Gallo | 2024 | None |
| 3rd Ward | Alan Rasho | 2024 | |
| 4th Ward | Paul McKinley | 2024 | None |
| 5th Ward | Tyler Shasteen | 2024 | |
| 6th Ward | Charles Earl Williams | 2024 | |
| 7th Ward | Dave Lottich | 2024 | |
| 8th Ward | Lynn Franco | None | |
| 9th Ward | Wayland Johnson | None | |
| 10th Ward | Yolanda Deanda | 2024 | |
| 11th Ward | Vacant | — | — |
| 12th Ward | Vacant | None | |
| 13th Ward | Horacio Aguilera | 2024 | |
| 14th Ward | Vacant | — | — |
| 15th Ward | Rosa Pritchett | None | |
| 16th Ward | Leonard Griffin | 2024 | |
| 17th Ward | Vacant | — | — |
| 18th Ward | Devin Jones | 2020 | |
| 19th Ward | Declan Smith | 2024 | None |
| 20th Ward | Maurissa Langon | 2024 | |
| 21st Ward | Ronald Fields | 2024 | |
| 22nd Ward | Lupe Castillo | 2024 | |
| 23rd Ward | Carlos Alvarez | 2024 | |
| 24th Ward | Steven Valtierra | 2024 | |
| 25th Ward | Vacant | ||
| 26th Ward | Vacant | ||
| 27th Ward | Steve Boulton | 2024 | Former Chairman of the Chicago Republican Party |
| 28th Ward | Tamiko Holt | 2024 | |
| 29th Ward | Walter Adamczyk | ||
| 30th Ward | Edward Karecki | ||
| 31st Ward | Ramona Bonilla-Anaiel | ||
| 32nd Ward | Cairy Littlejohn | 2024 | |
| 33rd Ward | Jason Proctor | 2024 | |
| 34th Ward | Christopher Myers | 2024 | |
| 35th Ward | Gladys Tanchez | 2024 | |
| 36th Ward | Vacant | — | — |
| 37th Ward | Velda Brunner | 2024 | |
| 38th Ward | Chuck Hernandez | Chairman of the Chicago Republican Party | |
| 39th Ward | Barry Bebart | ||
| 40th Ward | Gigi Gavron | 2024 | None |
| 41st Ward | Ammie Kessem | ||
| 42nd Ward | Kurt Fujio | 2024 | |
| 43rd Ward | Brian Kasal | ||
| 44th Ward | Laura Kotelman | ||
| 45th Ward | Estela Richards | 2024 | |
| 46th Ward | Evan Kasal | 2024 | |
| 47th Ward | Gary Mandell | 2024 | |
| 48th Ward | Beth Ruegg | 2024 | |
| 49th Ward | James Hazard | ||
| 50th Ward | Daniel Kelley | 2024 | |
| Barrington Township | Peter Kopsaftis | 2020 [25] | None |
| Berwyn Township | Vacant | ||
| Bloom Township | Lisa Kristina | ||
| Bremen Township | Max Solomon | None | |
| Calumet Township | Vacant | — | — |
| Cicero Township | Sandra Tomschin | None | |
| Elk Grove Township | Ed Lapinski | None | |
| Evanston | Sean Matlis | None | |
| Hanover Township | Michael Baumer | Streamwood Village Trustee [26] | |
| Lemont Township | Michael Shackel | Lemont Township Trustee [27] | |
| Leyden Township | Brad Stephens | Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2019–present) and village president of Rosemont (2007–present) | |
| Lyons Township | Terry Carr | None | |
| Maine Township | Jim Stinson | ||
| New Trier Township | Julie Cho | None | |
| Niles Township | Mark Albers | 2024 | None |
| Northfield Township | T. J. Brown | None | |
| Norwood Park Township | George Ballis | None | |
| Oak Park Township | John Bergholz | None | |
| Orland Township | Cindy Nelson Katsenes | None | |
| Palatine Township | Aaron Del Mar | Palatine Township Highway Commissioner [28] | |
| Palos Township | Sean Morrison | Chair of the Cook County Republican Party (2016–present), Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners (2015–present) [29] [30] | |
| Proviso Township | Mike Corrigan | None | |
| Rich Township | Eric Wallace | None | |
| River Forest Township | Tom Cronin | None | |
| Riverside Township | Jay Reyes | None | |
| Schaumburg Township | Joeseph Folisi | None | |
| Stickney Township | Natasa Dzolic | Member of Stickney, Illinois Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission [31] | |
| Thornton Township | Tim DeYoung | ||
| Wheeling Township | Kathy Penner | Wheeling Township Supervisor | |
| Worth Township | Shaun Murphy | None |
Burnett was appointed Committeeman of the 27th Ward Organization by his mentor, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, (and former Committeeman of the 27th Ward) on July 6, 2013.