Ald. George Cardenas announces resignation ahead of election to Cook County Board of Review
CHICAGO (CBS) -- One week before he is set to win an unopposed race for the Cook County Board of Review, Ald. George Cardenas (12th) is resigning from the Chicago City Council, effective Nov. 30.
Ald. Cardenas submitted a letter of resignation to Mayor Lightfoot Tuesday.
"When I first ran for office, communities in the 12th Ward faced immense challenges and lacked fundamental resources," Cardenas wrote. "As Alderman, I maintained a laser-like focus on the real issues affecting my constituents. My staff and I have worked diligently to be efficient, responsive, and accountable. We developed solutions through policy aimed at improving community health and quality of life."
Cardenas noted that new schools including Back of the Yards High School and Calmeca Academy – a dual language arts school in Brighton Park – were built on his watch. A new park and library were also developed in Little Village.
"I have had the privilege of working to uplift the communities of the 12th Ward, and I am proud of the legacy this work leaves behind," Cardenas wrote. "I am confident that the work has changed the lives of residents in the 12th Ward for the better. It is my hope that my successor builds on these efforts and is a leader who is not afraid to make tough decisions to keep our communities healthy and safe."
Cardenas won the Democratic primary for the 1st District seat on the Cook County Board of Review – which handles taxpayer appeals of property assessments – and has no opponents in Tuesday's primary.
Cardenas has represented the 12th Ward on the Southwest Side since 2003. His ward includes parts of the McKinley Park, Brighton Park, and Little Village neighborhoods.
The alderman has served as Lightfoot's deputy floor leader since February 2001, helping to usher her agenda through the City Council, amid a frequently rocky relationship between the mayor and most alderpersons.
He was also a frequent ally of former mayors Rahm Emanuel and Richard M. Daley, and currently chairs the City Council Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy.
Once his resignation becomes official at the end of the month, Mayor Lori Lightfoot will have 60 days to pick a successor, who will head into the February 2023 election with the advantage of being an incumbent.
It will be the fourth time Lightfoot will appoint a new member of the City Council following the resignation of a sitting alderperson.
The mayor named Nicole Lee as the first Asian American woman to serve on the City Council in March, after former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson resigned his seat in the 11th Ward due to his conviction on federal tax charges.
In June, she picked Monique Scott to replace her brother, Michael Scott Jr., in the 24th Ward, after Michael Scott left the City Council to take a top job at Cinespace film studios.
In September, she chose Timmy Knudsen to succeed retiring Ald. Michele Smith in the 43rd Ward.
At least 11 other alderpersons who were elected in 2019 have said they are not running for re-election next year.
Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30th), Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10th), Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th), Ald. Harry Osterman (48th), Ald. James Cappleman (46th), and indicted Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) plan to retire at the end of their terms next year.
Ald. Sophia King (4th), Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th), and Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) are giving up their seats on the council to run against Lightfoot in the 2023 mayoral election. Tunney also is considering a run for mayor, but has yet to announce a final decision.
