Anabel Abarca is an American politician, who served in the

Chicago City Council The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms. The council is gaveled into session regularly, usually mont ...

as alderperson for the 12th ward from 2022 to 2023. She was appointed to the position by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and confirmed by the City Council in December 2022, following the retirement of

George Cardenas George A. Cardenas (born October 9, 1964) was Alderman of the 12th Ward of the City of Chicago. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to his first term on the Chicago City Council in 2003. He was elected commissioner of the 1st dis ...

. She ran for re-election to a full term, but lost to Julia Ramirez. The 12th ward is on Chicago's southwest side, and includes portions of Brighton Park, McKinley Park, and

Little Village Little Village was an American/British rock band, formed in 1991 by Ry Cooder (guitar, vocal), John Hiatt (guitar, piano, vocal), Nick Lowe (bass, vocal) and Jim Keltner (drums). Each of the group's members had previously worked on Hiatt's 1987 ...

Early life and education

Abarca is a native of the Northwest Side of Chicago, and is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. She graduated from Taft High School in Norwood Park, and subsequently earned a bachelor's degree from DePaul University, a

Master of Public Administration The Master of Public Administration (M.P.Adm., M.P.A., or MPA) is a specialized higher professional post graduate degree in public administration, similar/ equivalent to the Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the issues of ...

degree from

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

, and a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Early legal and political career

Abarca worked on Tammy Duckworth's congressional campaign in 2011, and served as an aide to U.S. Representative Mike Quigley. She later served on the boards of several non-profit organizations. From 2012 to 2016, she served as chief of staff for 12th ward alderman

Chicago City Council

In June 2022, Cardenas announced his intention to resign later in the year after winning a primary for a seat on the Cook County Board of Review. Abarca was one of four people who applied to fill the position for the remainder of the term, and was selected for appointment by Mayor Lori Lightfoot on December 12, 2022. The City Council approved her appointment in a 44–0 vote on December 14. She named public safety and city services as her top priorities upon taking office. Abarca was a candidate for a full term in the 2023 election and was endorsed by Cardenas, but lost to challenger Julia Ramirez.

Personal life

Abaraca has lived in the McKinley Park neighborhood of Chicago since 2015.

Electoral history

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abarca, Anabel Living people 21st-century Illinois politicians 21st-century American women politicians American politicians of Mexican descent Arizona State University alumni Chicago City Council members Chicago City Council members appointed by Lori Lightfoot DePaul University alumni Hispanic and Latino American city council members Illinois Democrats Loyola University Chicago School of Law alumni Women city councillors in Illinois Year of birth missing (living people) United States congressional aides