A Democratic Socialist Wave Hits Chicago’s City Council

Andre Vasquez warms the crowd at an election party on April 2, 2019.
Andre Vasquez warms the crowd at an election party on April 2, 2019. Susie An / WBEZ
Andre Vasquez warms the crowd at an election party on April 2, 2019.
Andre Vasquez warms the crowd at an election party on April 2, 2019. Susie An / WBEZ

A Democratic Socialist Wave Hits Chicago’s City Council

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

Chicago’s City Council currently has one alderman that identifies as a Democratic Socialist, but that number could grow to six come May 20 when a new batch of lawmakers are sworn in to office.

Democratic Socialism wasn’t really part of the mainstream political discussion until the 2016 presidential campaign when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders finished a close second to Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary.

Since then, at the national level, we’ve had two freshman DSA lawmakers, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, making waves in Congress.

Here in Chicago, the DSA wave was even more pronounced in the 2019 municipal election, but it didn’t happen overnight.

Morning Shift digs into what Democratic Socialism is all about and how politicians who identify with its ideology and platform are making inroads into the halls of power in Chicago.

GUESTS: Miles Kampf-Lassin, web editor at In These Times magazine

Emma Tai, executive director of United Working Families

LEARN MORE: Chicago’s Political Revolution (In These Times — March 2019 issue)