Byron Sigcho-Lopez
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2019 - Present
2027
5
Byron Sigcho-Lopez is a member of the Chicago City Council in Illinois, representing Ward 25. He assumed office on May 20, 2019. His current term ends on May 17, 2027.
Sigcho-Lopez ran for re-election to the Chicago City Council to represent Ward 25 in Illinois. He won in the general election on February 28, 2023.
Elections
2023
See also: City elections in Chicago, Illinois (2023)
General election
General election for Chicago City Council Ward 25
Incumbent Byron Sigcho-Lopez defeated Aida Flores in the general election for Chicago City Council Ward 25 on February 28, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Byron Sigcho-Lopez (Nonpartisan) | 52.9 | 4,201 | |
| Aida Flores (Nonpartisan) | 47.1 | 3,734 | ||
| Total votes: 7,935 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Daniel Montes Talledos (Nonpartisan)
2019
See also: City elections in Chicago, Illinois (2019)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Chicago City Council Ward 25
Byron Sigcho-Lopez defeated Alex Acevedo in the general runoff election for Chicago City Council Ward 25 on April 2, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Byron Sigcho-Lopez (Nonpartisan) | 54.2 | 5,224 | |
| Alex Acevedo (Nonpartisan) | 45.8 | 4,414 | ||
| Total votes: 9,638 | ||||
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General election
General election for Chicago City Council Ward 25
Byron Sigcho-Lopez and Alex Acevedo advanced to a runoff. They defeated Hilario Dominguez, Aida Flores, and Troy Hernandez in the general election for Chicago City Council Ward 25 on February 26, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Byron Sigcho-Lopez (Nonpartisan) | 29.2 | 2,885 | |
| ✔ | Alex Acevedo (Nonpartisan) | 22.1 | 2,182 | |
| Hilario Dominguez (Nonpartisan) | 20.8 | 2,056 | ||
| Aida Flores (Nonpartisan) | 19.4 | 1,912 | ||
| Troy Hernandez (Nonpartisan) | 8.5 | 835 | ||
| Total votes: 9,870 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Byron Sigcho-Lopez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Chicago 2019 Candidate Survey
Byron Sigcho-Lopez completed Ballotpedia's Chicago candidates survey for 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sigcho-Lopez's responses.
Low-income families do not have the same choices, options, or alternatives when it comes to public school. How can this be addressed?
Every child deserves an excellent, fully funded neighborhood public school. As a teacher for the last 10 years at the UIC Center for Literacy, I am intimately familiar with the fact that we know how to make our schools excellent; however, what has been missing is the political will and courage. I support a democratically elected representative school board to bring parents, teachers, and community stakeholders back to the table to fight for our schools. I support a moratorium on charter school expansion in our city. I support auditing the TIF program and declaring a TIF surplus to immediately fix our long neglected schools - schools that at this moment have tested positive for lead with no funding or solution in sight under current leadership. As a researcher at UIC, I worked to uncover the UNO Charter School scandal in which millions of public dollars intended for students were diverted to political campaigns and other corrupt financial schemes - the investigation resulted in federal civil fraud charges, the resignation of top political officials, and immediately saved taxpayers $15 million dollars. I’m proud to be endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union because I am committed to ensuring our tax dollars go towards investing in the potential of every student. I’ve already fought for these solutions as a teacher, researcher, community organizer, and Local School Council member, and I will continue to stand up for our students if elected alderman.
How would you address inequality within and between schools?
Every school no matter where it is location must be fully funded. Inequality arises because of political decisions that have left the most vulnerable schools underfunded. An elected representative school board is a fundamental step towards starting to address these inequalities. As alderman, I will work with every single school in the district to make sure every child has the education they deserve. I would also call for a TIF surplus to route money back to some of these aforementioned underfunded schools.
How can public schools better support their teachers and work more productively with the teachers’ union, parents, and the community?
I am proud to be endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union because I have served as a local school council (LSC) representative in two schools in the district, and I founded a bilingual program at the UIC Center for Literacy to foster leadership and advocacy within our communities and public schools to support parents, teachers and students. As alderman I will make sure that LSC’s are fully trained and empowered to hold CPS accountable when they don’t take leadership on fostering a climate to unite these stakeholders.
What do you believe are the greatest needs of kids in school today? How would you prioritize these needs and address them?
The answer is complex. Part of what justifies the closing of our schools is the displacement happening in our communities - our children cannot learn when they face eviction and constantly have to move as a result of a speculative housing market. Creation and preservation of affordable housing is key to ensuring our students can be nurtured in stable homes and communities, and also so our schools stay funded and remain anchors in our communities. In the classroom, our children need fully funded classrooms and support staff including nurses, librarians, and special education in every school. We can identify the gaps in our schools and commit TIF funds to making sure our children do not miss out on their opportunity for an education.
What are your proposals for supporting children before and after school? What would be your ideal afterschool programs?
The mayor has identified $95 million dollars to build a police academy. We spend $4M/day on policing in the city of Chicago with little return on investment. By diverting just a fraction of these funds towards supporting exciting extracurricular programing for our youth, our investment would pay off tenfold. The 25th Ward is home to some of the most creative and thoughtful artists in the country. Playing soccer taught me to collaborate with a team towards a common goal. My ideal after school programs would allow children to play and be active, build relationships, be creative and expressive, and learn problem solving skills with their peers. Investments in our youth can be transformative and I intend to work with our schools and communities to ensure these programs can become a reality.
Do you believe that there is corruption in Chicago politics, such as pay-to-play practices when the city awards bids? If so, how would you address it?
I have been a leader in exposing corruption and as alderman, I will work tirelessly to pursue reforms that I know will make a meaningful impact in the lives of everyday Chicagoans. As a researcher at UIC, I worked to uncover the UNO Charter School scandal in which millions of public dollars intended for students were diverted to political campaigns and other corrupt financial schemes - the investigation resulted in federal civil fraud charges, the resignation of top political officials, and immediately saved taxpayers $15 million dollars. As the former Executive Director of the Pilsen Alliance, I’ve seen how the incumbent was able to subvert the interests of community residents to benefit big campaign donors, and I saw our institutional flaws that allowed him to continue with impunity. As alderman, I am committed to correcting these flaws and making a city that our children can be proud of. As a candidate, I am committed to running a clean campaign: I have stayed true to my commitment not to accept a penny from developers, advocates of privatized charter schools, corporate interests, or machine politicians; further, I have demonstrated a willingness to change our status quo and will be proud to continue to have an open door policy in every corner of the ward to stay accountable to the voters of my ward.
How would you make the city’s policies more responsive to community input instead of donors or special interests?
We need to empower the Inspector General to investigate aldermen so that there are subject to the same ethical standards as ordinary city employees. We need to reform campaign finance laws in order to elect representatives who are not beholden to special interests/big donors, we must hold elected officials accountable when they accept campaign contributions from corrupting influences. Once in office, I support democratizing the process - I have already worked with community residents and developers together to find community-driven zoning solutions - even without the support of the incumbent - to bring local small businesses to the ward. In 2019, a local coffee shop and locally owned brewery will be opening in Pilsen and creating 90 jobs for local residents. I support an elected school board so parents, teachers, and community members can sit that the decision making table instead of an appointed board of hedge fund managers and other corporate interests.
How would you handle the “recurrence of unaddressed racially discriminatory conduct by officers” identified in the U.S. Justice Department’s investigative report of the Chicago PD published in 2017?
I would fully implement the recommendations in the report from the Justice Department with a focus on accountability - one of the aspects of the report that has been most neglected by officials currently delegated to implement reforms. That starts with CPAC - an elected civilian police accountability council - to hold police accountable to the communities they swear an oath to serve and protect. We spend $4 million on policing per day and have spent half a Billion - that’s with a B - on police misconduct settlements in the past 10 years. It is important that we invest in addressing the root causes of violence, reopening our mental health clinics, and finding more sustainable and effective solutions that can begin to repair the broken trust between communities of color and Chicago Police.
What sort of proposals would help reduce police shootings and fatalities?
I would fully implement the recommendations in the report from the Justice Department with a focus on accountability - one of the aspects of the report that has been most neglected by officials currently delegated to implement reforms. That starts with CPAC - an elected civilian police accountability council - to hold police accountable to the communities they swear an oath to serve and protect.
What ideas do you have to reduce the availability of illegal or unregistered guns in Chicago?
There must be a comprehensive approach to tackling the issue of gun violence that includes actions at all levels of government be it local, state and federal. There should be universal background checks and the closure of the loophole in federal gun laws that allow unlicensed sellers to sell firearms without performing background checks. We should also prevent bulk gun purchases and straw purchases. Domestic violence abusers should be prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and individuals under final domestic violence restraining orders should have to surrender all firearms.
How will you help to rebuild trust in the police department and to encourage the community to work with police?
I would fully implement the recommendations in the report from the Justice Department with a focus on accountability - one of the aspects of the report that has been most neglected by officials currently delegated to implement reforms. That starts with CPAC - an elected civilian police accountability council - to hold police accountable to the communities they swear an oath to serve and protect. I support a full sanctuary city ordinance with no carve-outs. This, along with CPAC, will begin to rebuild trust in communities of color who are disproportionately impacted by violence.
How would you address criminal justice issues such as prison reform and the reintegration of formerly incarcerated persons into city life?
I view crime not as a punitive issue but a structural one. Public health experts have shown that crime follows the same epidemiological patterns as traditional communicable diseases and in the same way, can be addressed holistically with stakeholders engaged at all levels to work together towards healthier communities. I will address disproportionate unemployment and underemployment of black men through vocational training, free college tuition for public universities and colleges, and personalized career counseling services. I am eager to apply community driven solutions including CPAC for civic accountability in policing, expanding youth programing and second chance opportunities, and restorative justice initiatives to build a community that can grow resilient and strong for upcoming generations.
How would you address the displacement of people of color and long-term residents from their neighborhoods?
Creation and preservation of affordable housing is key. I support the Homes for All and Development for All ordinances, supported by the Chicago Housing Initiative. I the 25th ward, I will replace Alderman Solis’s appointed zoning body, PLUC, with an entirely community driven process that is democratic and inclusive to ensure all residents can be at the decision making table when it comes to zoning and development decisions that affect their community.
How would you care for the most vulnerable Chicagoans?
I believe housing is a human right. I also support increased access to health care, including mental health care, services. We must ensure our most vulnerable residents have the basics that are the building block to getting an education, finding gainful employment, and being able to live a dignified life in our city.
How would you ensure that development benefits residents in their neighborhoods and not solely the developers and other interests?
I would insist on 30% on-site affordable housing in large scale residential development, in accordance with the two ordinances proposed by the Chicago Housing Initiative - Development for All and Homes for All.
How would you distribute revenue fairly between neighborhoods?
I support an equity based approach to engage all residents in the ward, but also to ensure that residents disproportionately struggling receive the resources and investment needed to be on par with better served neighborhoods.
How do you propose to resolve the city’s underfunded pension plan for city employees?
We need progressive forms of revenue generation, and generate revenue in ways that do not disproportionately place the tax burden on working people and the most vulnerable populations.
What’s your opinion on tax increment financing (a program that funds development using any additional property tax revenue that results from an increase in appraised property values)? What, if any, changes would you make to the use of TIF?
It is clear that TIF's should not continue without a tremendous increase in transparency and reform.The Back to Basics TIF ordinance reforms the TIF program in way that restores the program to its original purpose: to spur economic development in blighted communities. The current use of TIFs violate the spirit of the program and unethically allows for the allocation public resources to wealthy private developments in communities that are economically thriving. Additionally, I support the Garza-Cardenas TIF surplus reform ordinance which re-allocates surplus TIF funds to public schools and other public infrastructure projects.
How would you assess the city's finances, and if your proposals would require new spending, how would you pay for them?
Our city’s finances need a through and accountable review. My proposals would require re-prioritization of spending, not new regressive taxes or short-sighted gimmicks.
Would you be in favor of freezing property taxes, at least for low-income households, so that people can stay where they are living?
Yes, I support property tax exemptions for long term residents.
How would you increase access to quality food and urgent care in all parts of the city?
I am committed to not accepting campaign contributions from big corporations or developers to ensure that as a representative of 25th Ward residents, I can ensure efforts to develop and grow in our city comes with a strong community benefits agreement that can, in part, support expanded access to food and urgent care in underserved parts of our city. I would also support utilizing TIF funds to connect communities with these essential services.
How will you address public health concerns such as contaminated drinking water, rat infestation, and lead poisoning?
I support the ordinance proposed by Alderman Villegas and Alderman Waguespack: it is the city's responsibility to replace lead service lines as it was the city's mandate, long after experts had declared lead pipes dangerous, that is responsible for the prevalence of lead service lines in our building stock. The problem of lead poisoning is most prevalent in poorly maintained rental housing stock with deteriorating paint. I support programs to abate lead hazards in all spaces where young children can be expected to spend considerable amounts of time. I support proactive measures to ensure rat infestations are kept in control city-wide, instead of relying on a complaint based system.
How would you make Chicago a cleaner city with less waste and pollution?
I support a Green New Deal for Chicago to bring green industry to the south west side’s industrial corridor and ensure job training programs engage our local residents. I am eager to work with environmental groups to improve our city’s waste/recycling program, and also limit the amount of plastic pollution entering our waterways. I support working with officials to end sewer overflows into our waterways on days with increased rain - days that scientists say will become more and more frequent with impacts of climate change in our Great Lakes region. We must ensure we are being proactive about being resilient to these impending changes.
What would be your first steps for improving the transit system in terms of affordability, accessibility, and safety?
A world class transit system attracts investment, good jobs, and improves the quality of life for the 10s of millions of residents who live in the Chicagoland region. Just this past week, cracked steel was found holding up north-bound lanes on Lake Shore Drive - luckily the problem was identified before anyone was killed or injured. I will advocate for a progressive income tax to ensure that corporations and the very rich are paying their fair share to maintain the infrastructure that is in critical need of upgrades and investment.
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See also
2023 Elections
External links
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Daniel Solis |
Chicago City Council Ward 25 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| |||||||||
