Pat Dowell is a member of 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 ...
representing the City of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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's 3rd
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
in
Cook County
Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. Dowell was elected in April 2007 in a
runoff election against
incumbent
The incumbent is the current holder of an official, office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seek ...
Dorothy Tillman
Dorothy Jean Tillman (née Wright; May 12, 1947) is an American politician, civil rights activist and former Chicago, Illinois alderman. Tillman served as the alderman of the city's 3rd Wardmap from 1985 until 2007. A member of the Democratic ...
. Dowell had lost to Tillman in 2003. Dowell is a member of the City Council's Housing and Real Estate, Transportation and the Public Way, Landmarks, Rules and Health committees.
Early life and education
Dowell has a B.A. degree in
developmental psychology
Developmental psychology is the science, scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult deve ...
from the
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants Undergraduate education, undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Doctorate, do ...
and a master's degree in
social service
Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administ ...
administration from the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
.
Aldermanic career
Dowell was elected alderman for the 3rd ward in 2007, unseating incumbent Dorothy Tillman. She has subsequently been reelected in 2011,
2015, and
2019.
Bronzeville is located in Chicago's 3rd ward, currently represented by Alderman Pat Dowell.
Dowell introduced the amendment to the Vacant Property
Ordinance
Ordinance may refer to:
Law
* Ordinance (Belgium), a law adopted by the Brussels Parliament or the Common Community Commission
* Ordinance (India), a temporary law promulgated by the President of India on recommendation of the Union Cabinet
* ...
that was passed by the Chicago City Council on July 28, 2011, holding banks responsible for maintaining
foreclosed
Foreclosure is a legal process in which a lender attempts to recover the balance of a loan from a borrower who has stopped making payments to the lender by forcing the sale of the asset used as the collateral for the loan.
Formally, a mortg ...
properties in neighborhoods across Chicago. Dowell commented on the issue, saying: "The foreclosure process sometimes takes a year or 18 months, two years for them to actually foreclose on the property and sometimes certain banks let those properties sit vacant....They can become haven for gang bangers and drug dealers; there is also the potential for fire hazards.....When vacant buildings are left to deteriorate, local property values tumble and criminality gains an entry into the neighborhood.....The landmark piece of legislation passed today will hold banks responsible for the upkeep of vacant properties, keeping them secure and keeping neighborhoods intact." Dowell also stated that: "This legislation goes a long way to keep our neighborhoods vibrant and soften the negative impact the housing foreclosure process has had on the city."
Dowell was the recipient of the Independent Voters of Illinois' Best Aldermanic Voting Record for 2010, presented by the
(IVI-IPO), a not-for-profit, multi-partisan, independent political organization that has been in existence since 1944 dedicated to good government activism. Dowell along with Alderman Bob Fioretti (2nd) and Alderman Joe Moore (49th), was given IVI-IPO's Best Aldermanic Voting Award. Upon receiving the award Dowell stated: "I am thankful for the IVI-IPO recognition of my work in the City Council and my commitment to good government and participatory democracy. These are values I hold most dear and I'm proud to be associated with an organization like IVO-IPO that has been fighting the fight for social justice for over 60 years."
In 2018,
J.B. Pritzker
Jay Robert "J. B." Pritzker (born January 19, 1965) is an American billionaire businessman, philanthropist, and politician serving as the 43rd governor of Illinois since 2019. A member of the wealthy Pritzker family, which owns the worldwide ...
appointed Dowell a member of the gubernatorial transition's Job Creation and Economic Opportunity Committee.
In the runoff of the
2019 Chicago mayoral election, Dowell endorsed
Toni Preckwinkle
Toni Lynn Preckwinkle (née Reed; born March 17, 1947) is an American politician and the current County Board President in Cook County, Illinois, United States. She was first elected as President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the e ...
.
On May 17, three days prior to her inauguration,
Lori Lightfoot
Lori Elaine Lightfoot (born August 4, 1962) is an American attorney and politician serving since 2019 as the 56th mayor of Chicago. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming mayor, Lightfoot worked in private legal practice as ...
announced that she would be naming Dowell to be the City Council's budget chairman.
Campaigns for other offices
In April 2021, Dowell announced that she will be a candidate in the
2022 election for
Illinois secretary of state
The Secretary of State of Illinois is one of the six elected executive state offices of the government of Illinois, and one of the 47 secretaries of states in the United States. The Illinois Secretary of State keeps the state records, laws, libr ...
. In January 2022, after U.S. Representative
Bobby Rush
Bobby Lee Rush (born November 23, 1946) is an American politician, activist and pastor who served as the U.S. representative for for three decades. A civil rights activist during the 1960s, Rush co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Pant ...
announced his retirement, Dowell withdrew from the Secretary of State race and announced that she would instead run in
the primary to succeed Rush as representative for
Illinois' 1st congressional district.
See also
*
List of Chicago aldermen since 1923
The Chicago City Council assumed its modern form on April 16, 1923, with fifty wards each electing one alderman. Here is a list of the people who have served as an alderman since that time.
Since its incorporation as a city in 1837 Chicago had be ...
References
* Johnathon E. Briggs, "Tillman pins loss on new residents: 'It's a lack of understanding' the alderman says," ''Chicago Tribune'', April 18, 2007.
* Mary Mitchell, "Third Ward race splits black voters; Old school backed Tillman; new residents wanted Dowell," ''Chicago Sun Times'', April 18, 2007.
External links
Map of Aldermanic WardsBoundaries of the 3rd WardHome page for Third Ward Alderman's officePat Dowell for CongressVacant Buildings and Lender ResponsibilityNew homes are transforming this historic neighborhoodAthletic Hall of Fame, University of Rochester
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dowell, Pat
1957 births
20th-century African-American women
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American politicians
21st-century African-American women
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
African-American city council members in Illinois
African-American state legislators in Illinois
African-American women in politics
Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections
Chicago City Council members
Members of the Illinois House of Representatives
Living people
University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration alumni
University of Rochester alumni
Women city councillors in Illinois
Women state legislators in Illinois