Race for 12th Ward Alderman

The 12th Ward on the city’s Southwest Side includes all or parts of Little Village, McKinley Park, Brighton Park, Douglas Park and Back of the Yards. Four-term incumbent Ald. George Cardenas has represented the ward since 2003. While he managed to knock opposition off in 2015, he faces several challengers this cycle. Voters are concerned about the city’s plan to redevelop industrial areas in Little Village and the environmental impact of pollution in the ward.

Cardenas faces Pete DeMay, a union organizer for Workers United, Jose Rico, senior vice president for community impact at United Way Metro Chicago and former executive director of the White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics under the Obama administration, and Martha Yerania Range.