Mayor Lori Lightfoot chooses alderman's sister to fill vacancy in 24th Ward on West Side
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday tapped Monique Scott, the sister of former Ald. Michael Scott Jr., to take his place on the City Council.
"Monique Scott has been a dedicated and active member of the North Lawndale community for her entire life," Lightfoot said in a statement. "There is no one better suited to lead the residents of the 24th ward at this critical time for recovery and development. Furthermore, Monique has the resourcefulness and community connectedness to work across sectors to get things done. I look forward to working with her as she takes on this new role."
Lightfoot's announcement of her choice to fill the 24th Ward vacancy made no mention of Monique Scott's relationship to her brother, who had represented the ward since 2015.
Monique Scott was chosen from among 19 people who applied to replace her brother, who stepped down earlier this month to take a job as director of industry and community relations at Chicago film studio Cinespace.
A four-member selection committee recommended a list of finalists for the seat before Lightfoot picked Monique Scott. According to published reports, the other finalists included Trina Mangrum, the chief of staff to Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), and former Chicago Bulls player Wallace "Mickey" Johnson.
She will now go before the City Council Rules Committee for a confirmation vote on Tuesday afternoon, before the full City Council votes on her appointment on Wednesday. If confirmed, as expected, she would serve until the next municipal election in 2023.
Monique Scott has worked for the past eight years at the Chicago Park District, where she currently serves as supervisor at Ellis Park. Before that, she worked for 14 years as a health consultant at the North Lawndale Christian Health Center, according to the mayor's office.
In her own statement, Monique Scott referred to her brother only as "the previous alderman."
"I am honored to be chosen to represent the hardworking men and women of the 24th Ward," she said. "Building on the work of the previous Alderman, I will strive to bring economic development and safety to my residents. At this crucial moment, I am excited to serve my community and make North Lawndale a better place for all."
Her father, Michael Scott Sr., was a top advisor under Mayors Jane Byrne, Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer, and Richard M. Daley, serving as Chicago Board of Education President, Chicago Park District Board president, and a member of the boards of the Regional Transportation Authority and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority.
It's been common practice for Chicago mayors to appoint an alderman's relative to replace them on the City Council when they've left office mid-term. Mayor Rahm Emanuel tapped Deb Mell to replace her father, Dick Mel, in the 33rd Ward in 2013. Mayor Richard M. Daley picked Darcel Beavers to succeed her father, William, in the 7th Ward in 2006; Carrie Austin to succeed her husband, Lemuel Austin, in the 34th Ward in 1994; and Margaret Laurino to replace her father, Anthony, in the 39th Ward in 1994.
Monique Scott is Lightfoot's second appointment to the City Council. Earlier this year, she chose Nicole Lee as the city's first Chinese American alderperson, to replace convicted former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson in the 11th Ward.
Unlike Lee's appointment, which was made at a press conference where both Lightfoot and Lee took reporters' questions, Monique Scott's appointment to the City Council was announced only in a written press release on Monday. Lightfoot did not have any public events on her schedule to take reporters' questions on Monday.
