Michelle A. Harris Explained

Michelle Harris
Office:Member of the Chicago City Council
from the 8th ward
Term Start:December 13, 2006
Predecessor:Todd Stroger
Birth Date:13 December 1961
Birth Place:Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Education:Chicago State University (BA)

Michelle A. Harris (born December 13, 1961) is an American politician who is the alderman of Chicago's 8th ward[1] and the chair of the Chicago City Council's rules committee.[2] [3]

Early life and education

Harris was raised on the south side of Chicago where she attended Chicago Vocational High School and Chicago State University.[4]

Aldermanic career

Harris began her aldermanic career in 2006.[5] She was appointed by mayor Richard M. Daley to fill the vacancy left after Todd Stroger retired to become President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. On December 13, 2006, Michelle Harris was confirmed as Alderwoman by the Chicago City Council and sworn in.[6] Harris has subsequently been reelected in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019.

In 2014, she had expressed support for a proposed marijuana dispensary on 87th street[7] and by 2015 had changed her opinion on the issue.[8] Also in 2014, she was investigated by the Illinois Attorney General for violating Illinois' Open Meetings Act[9] for failure to give adequate notice that two referendums were to be on a public meetings agenda. In 2015 she "demanded" along with 14 other African-American aldermen,[10] that Mayor Rahm Emanuel fire Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy due to inefficacy in combating murders in her ward.[11]

In an article titled "The Big Spenders—and What They Charged", Chicago magazine lists out the most egregious examples of luxurious spending of campaign contributions by Illinois politicians. Harris, for example, is cited for used her campaign account in the amount of $3,849 for airfare to Turkey in 2012.[12]

In the runoff of the 2019 Chicago mayoral election, Harris endorsed Toni Preckwinkle against her opponent Lori Lightfoot.[13] However, Harris has since served as Mayor Lightfoot's floor leader during her mayoralty,[14] being a City Council ally of Lightfoot.[15] [16]

2016 clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County campaign

In 2016, Harris challenged incumbent Dorothy A. Brown in the Democratic primary for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County.[17] Harris lost the primary, receiving 307,392 votes (30.53%) to Brown's 477,503 (47.43%), with the remaining 221,921 votes (22.04%) going to Jacob Meister.[18] [19]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ward 8.
  2. Web site: With Chicago City Council watchdog gone, the FBI's sniffing around. . 19 November 2015 .
  3. Web site: Michelle Harris: Stroger protege who earned the chance to trade council seat for clerk's office - Chicago. Chicago. 2015-11-23. en-US. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151123091436/http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/1040951/michelle-harris-stroger-family-protege-earned-right-vacate-city-council-hot-seat. 2015-11-23.
  4. Web site: Chicago City Council: Michelle A. Harris. 17 October 2011 .
  5. Web site: Chicago City Council: Michelle A. Harris. 17 October 2011 .
  6. Del Valle. Miguel (City Clerk). Regular Meeting on December 13th 2006 Volume 1. 93985–93986. December 13, 2006. Journal of Proceedings of the Chicago City Council. May 10, 2022.
  7. Web site: Plan Pulled for Medical-Marijuana Dispensary on South Side. 20 November 2015.
  8. Web site: Chatham Pot Clinic Faces City Hearing as Residents, Alderman Fight It. DNAinfo Chicago. 2015-11-23. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151123091442/https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151119/calumet-heights/chatham-pot-clinic-goes-hearing-with-community-aldermans-opposition. 2015-11-23.
  9. Web site: Is Alderman Playing by the Rules?. Chicago Tonight WTTW. 2015-11-23.
  10. Web site: Michelle Harris: Stroger protege who earned the chance to trade council seat for clerk's office - Chicago. Chicago. 2015-11-23. en-US. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151123091436/http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/1040951/michelle-harris-stroger-family-protege-earned-right-vacate-city-council-hot-seat. 2015-11-23.
  11. Web site: African-American aldermen call on Emanuel to fire top cop. chicagotribune.com. 5 October 2015 . 2015-11-23.
  12. Web site: The Big Spenders—and What They Charged. Bernstein. David. 2012-12-14. Chicago Magazine. 2016-09-16.
  13. Web site: List of Endorsements in the Race for Chicago Mayor . NBC Chicago . 18 March 2019. April 2, 2019.
  14. Web site: Cherone . Heather . Push to Force Chicago Public Schools CEO to Testify at City Council Committee Hearing Fails . WTTW News . 31 January 2023 . en . November 9, 2022.
  15. Web site: Emerging 2023 Chicago alderman field not all woke candidates . Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers . 31 January 2023 . 21 September 2022.
  16. Web site: Yin . Alice . Chicago Ald. Leslie Hairston says she turned down Mayor Lightfoot's request to serve as ethics chair: 'I am not a product of the machine' . Chicago Tribune . 31 January 2023 . December 7, 2022.
  17. Web site: Michelle Harris: Clerk of the Circuit Court Candidate . WTTW News . 19 February 2020 . en . 18 February 2016.
  18. Web site: Suburban Cook County Election Results March 15, 2016 Presidential Primary Election Clerk of the Circuit Court, Cook County Township & Precinct Results . Cook County Clerk's Office . 19 February 2020.
  19. Web site: 2016 Primary - DEM - 3/15/16 . Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago . 19 February 2020.

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