Ameya Pawar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ameya Pawar
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| Member of the Chicago City Council from the 47th ward |
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| In office May 16, 2011 – May 20, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Eugene Schulter |
| Succeeded by | Matt Martin |
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| Born | April 22, 1980 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Missouri Valley College (BA) Illinois Institute of Technology (MPA) University of Chicago (MS, MA) |
Ameya Pawar, born on April 22, 1980, is an American politician. He used to be an alderman for the 47th ward in the Chicago City Council. An alderman is like a city council member who represents a specific area, or "ward," in a city. He was first elected in 2011 and won a second term in 2015. His re-election in 2015 was a big win, getting over 82% of the votes.
Ameya Pawar made history as the first Indian American and Asian American to serve on the Chicago City Council. He also ran for Governor of Illinois in 2018 but stopped his campaign because he didn't have enough money. After leaving the City Council in 2019, he ran for City Treasurer of Chicago, which is a role that manages the city's money. He made it to the final round but lost to Melissa Conyears-Ervin.
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Early Life and Work
Ameya Pawar was the first Asian and Indian American to be elected to the Chicago City Council. After his time in office, he joined the Economic Security Project. There, he works on ideas like "guaranteed income" and "public options," which are ways to help people have more financial security.
In 2020, he became a fellow with the Open Society Foundations. This work focuses on public banking, which means banks run by the government for public benefit. He also advises The Academy Group, an organization in Chicago that helps reduce the gap between rich and poor. He teaches at the University of Chicago and advises their Poverty Lab.
Helping Workers and Families
While he was an alderman, Ameya Pawar worked on laws to help people. He focused on social justice, worker rights, and making the economy fairer for everyone. He helped pass laws in Chicago that raised the minimum wage to $13 per hour. He also helped make sure workers could get paid sick leave.
He worked to stop "wage theft," which is when employers don't pay workers what they're owed. He also helped protect housing for people who needed it most in Chicago.
Other Achievements
Ameya Pawar has received several honors. He was part of a US State Department language program. In 2011, he was named one of Crain's Chicago "40 under 40," which recognizes successful young people. He was also a McCormick Foundation Executive Fellow in 2018.
Before leaving office, he led the Chicago Resilient Families Task Force. This group looked into starting a city program to give people a guaranteed income. He is also an expert on how poverty connects to disaster planning. In 2014, he co-wrote a textbook about emergency management.
Time in Chicago City Council
Ameya Pawar represented the 47th Ward. This ward was special because the mayor at the time, Rahm Emanuel, lived there. This meant the mayor was one of Ameya Pawar's constituents, or people he represented.
New Ideas and Laws
In 2018, Ameya Pawar suggested a new law to try out "Universal Basic Income" in Chicago. This idea means everyone would get a regular payment from the city to help with living costs. He was chosen to lead Mayor Emanuel's Resilient Families Task Force. This group explored the idea of universal basic income and other ways to help families.
Campaign for City Treasurer
In 2018, Ameya Pawar announced he would run for Chicago Treasurer. This job involves managing the city's money. He had thought about running for mayor first but decided on treasurer.
In the election on February 26, 2019, he received 41.59% of the votes. This meant he had to go into a "runoff" election against Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who got 44.26% of the votes. A runoff happens when no candidate gets more than half the votes. In the runoff election on April 2, he lost to Melissa Conyears-Ervin, getting 40.62% of the votes.
One of his main ideas during his campaign was to create a "public bank" for the city. This would be a bank run by the city government.
Other Activities and Roles
In 2011, the Governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, appointed Ameya Pawar to the Illinois Innovation Council. This council works on new ideas for the state. He was the only elected official on this council. In 2013, the Governor also appointed him to the Asian American Employment Plan Council.
Ameya Pawar supported President Barack Obama's campaign in 2012. He also created an iPhone app called Chicago Works. This app allowed people in Chicago to easily report problems or make service requests to the city using their phones.
As of 2023, Ameya Pawar is a senior advisor for the Economic Security Project. This is a nonprofit organization that works on economic issues.
Electoral History
Ameya Pawar has run in several elections. Here's a look at how he did:
2011 Aldermanic Election
In 2011, Ameya Pawar ran for alderman of the 47th Ward. He won this election with 50.79% of the votes.
- Ameya Pawar: 8,572 votes (50.79%)
- Tom O'Donnell: 7,347 votes (43.53%)
- Micael Reichel: 605 votes (3.58%)
- Tom Jacks: 353 votes (2.09%)
2015 Aldermanic Election
In 2015, Ameya Pawar ran for re-election as alderman. He won by a large margin, getting 82.78% of the votes.
- Ameya Pawar (incumbent): 9,974 votes (82.78%)
- Rory A. Fiedler: 2,075 votes (17.22%)
2019 City Treasurer Election
In 2019, Ameya Pawar ran for City Treasurer. He made it to the runoff election but did not win.
- First Round:
- Melissa Conyears-Ervin: 225,385 votes (44.26%)
- Ameya Pawar: 211,759 votes (41.59%)
- Peter Gariepy: 72,068 votes (14.15%)
- Runoff Round:
- Melissa Conyears-Ervin: 296,293 votes (59.38%)
- Ameya Pawar: 202,714 votes (40.62%)
