Race for City Treasurer

Chicago’s City Treasurer is one of three citywide elected offices – the Treasurer is the custodian of all cash and investments for the city, the four pension funds for city employees, and the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund. For several years, the mayor has had the ability to directly appoint the treasurer due to the timing of retirements, but in 2018, incumbent Treasurer Kurt Summers announced he would not be running again, creating a rare open race for the position. Key issues include how the city should spend its excess investment returns and pension funding.

Former 47th Ward Ald. Ameya Pawar, fresh off a Democratic bid for Illinois Governor, says he wants to use the office to create a new public bank and ease student debt for Chicagoans. State Rep. Melissa Conyears Ervin (28), the wife of Ald. Jason Ervin (28), wants to expand the office's mandate to include analyzing not only the City's budget, but also its sister agencies and pension funds.