Bob Fioretti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Fioretti
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Fioretti in 2015
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| Member of the Chicago City Council from the 2nd ward |
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| In office May 2007 – May 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Madeline Haithcock |
| Succeeded by | Brian K. Hopkins |
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| Born | March 8, 1953 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (Before 2022) Republican (2022–present) |
| Spouse | Nicki Fioretti |
| Education | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (BA) Northern Illinois University (JD) |
Robert William Fioretti, born on March 8, 1953, is an American lawyer and politician. He served as an alderman in the Chicago City Council for the 2nd ward. An alderman is like a city council member who represents a specific area, or "ward," in a city. His ward included parts of many Chicago neighborhoods.
Fioretti was first elected as an alderman in 2007 and won re-election in 2011. He also served as the Democratic Committeeman for the 2nd ward for two terms. This role involves helping to lead the local Democratic Party. After new ward boundaries were drawn in 2010, Fioretti's original ward changed a lot. He did not run for re-election as alderman. Since then, he has run for other political jobs but has not won.
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About Bob Fioretti's Life and Learning
Bob Fioretti grew up in the Pullman and Roseland areas of Chicago. His mother was Polish-American, and his father was an Italian immigrant who worked for the Pullman train car company.
Fioretti went to St. Anthony's Grammar School and Mendel High School. He received a scholarship to attend the University of Illinois. There, he studied political science and was elected as the student body president.
He later earned his law degree from Northern Illinois University College of Law. He still teaches there sometimes. He is also involved with the university's alumni groups. He helped create a Chicago alumni office and a magazine for former students. He also helped start a scholarship program and a center for alumni on campus.
Family Life
Fioretti lives in Chicago with his wife, Nicki.
In 2010, Fioretti was diagnosed with throat cancer. He recovered from it. In 2019, he wrote a book called "My Cancer Journey." In the book, he shared his and his wife's experiences from his diagnosis through treatment and recovery.
Bob Fioretti's Work as a Lawyer
Fioretti is a civil rights lawyer. This means he works to protect people's rights. He is a partner at a law firm in Chicago. He handles cases related to government laws and complicated legal disputes. He has worked on cases in both federal and state courts.
He also served as a special lawyer for the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois.
In 2006, Fioretti represented a young man named LaFonso Rollins. Rollins had spent 11 years in prison after being wrongly accused. DNA testing later proved he was innocent. Fioretti helped Rollins win a large settlement from the City of Chicago.
He also represented the family of a baby named Tamia in an adoption case. This case led to new laws in Illinois that better protect birth parents. These changes made Illinois a leader in adoption reform.
In 2022, Fioretti helped the mayor of Dolton, Illinois, Tiffany Henyard. He won a lawsuit to stop an attempt to remove her from office.
Bob Fioretti as an Alderman
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In 2007, Fioretti ran for alderman of Chicago's 2nd ward. He challenged the person who had held the job for 14 years. Fioretti won the election and started his term on May 21, 2007. He was re-elected in 2011.
After his second election, the city's ward boundaries were changed. Fioretti's ward was completely different, and he decided to run for mayor instead of alderman again.
Fioretti often disagreed with Mayor Rahm Emanuel. For example, he supported efforts to keep some non-profit groups from having to pay water fees. He also opposed allowing ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft to operate in the city without certain licenses.
Focus on Education and Jobs
As an alderman, Fioretti worked to improve schools and create jobs in Chicago. He worked with school leaders to help the Chicago Public Schools system.
In 2008, he helped start "Operation Safe Passage." This program aimed to keep students safe on their way to and from school. It involved the police, public transportation, churches, and families. Fioretti supported expanding Jones College Prep High School. He also oversaw Roosevelt University's expansion in the South Loop area. In 2011, he received an award for his work to improve neighborhood schools.
Fioretti also helped create and save jobs in Chicago. He supported United Airlines moving its headquarters to Chicago, which brought about 2,500 jobs. He also helped renovate the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. This kept the world's largest futures and options exchange in Chicago's financial district.
He also worked to bring affordable food stores to areas of Chicago that didn't have many. Stores like Pete's Fresh Market, Target, and Costco opened new locations in the 2nd ward. This provided fresh food and jobs for residents.
Improving Parks
Fioretti received an award in 2009 for his work to improve parks in the 2nd ward. During his time as alderman, he used city money to open several new parks.
However, he upset some park groups when he voted to allow the Chicago Children's Museum to move to Grant Park. This plan was later stopped, and the museum stayed at Navy Pier.
City Council Roles
Fioretti served on several important committees in the Chicago City Council. These committees dealt with things like environmental protection, public health, business licenses, and city rules.
Running for Other Political Jobs
Chicago Mayor Campaigns
Fioretti ran for Mayor of Chicago two times. He had thought about running in 2011 but decided not to after his cancer diagnosis. He later ran in the 2015 and 2019 mayoral elections.
2015 Mayoral Campaign
In the 2015 Chicago mayoral election, Fioretti was one of several candidates. He had support from people like former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka. He also received endorsements from police groups and other political organizations.
Fioretti finished fourth out of five candidates in the first round of voting. He received about 7.39% of the votes. After being eliminated, he supported Rahm Emanuel in the final round.
2019 Mayoral Campaign
Fioretti announced he would run for mayor again in the 2019 election. This election was to choose a new mayor after Rahm Emanuel decided not to run again. Fioretti was again unsuccessful. He placed twelfth out of fourteen candidates, receiving about 0.77% of the votes.
Cook County Offices
2018 Cook County Board President Campaign
In 2017, Fioretti announced he would challenge Toni Preckwinkle for the Democratic nomination to be President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. This role leads the government of Cook County, which includes Chicago. Fioretti lost to Preckwinkle in the primary election in March 2018.
2020 Cook County State's Attorney Campaign
Fioretti was one of several candidates who challenged Kim Foxx for the role of Cook County State's Attorney in the 2020 Democratic primary. The State's Attorney is the chief prosecutor for the county. His campaign was supported by the Chicago police union. He finished fourth in this election.
2022 Cook County Board President Campaign
Fioretti ran for President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners again in 2022. This time, he ran as the Republican candidate. He challenged Toni Preckwinkle once more but was defeated.
2024 Cook County State's Attorney Campaign
Fioretti ran for Cook County State's Attorney again in 2024 as the only Republican candidate. He ran against Democratic nominee Eileen O'neill Burke. Burke won the election by a margin of 37%. During his campaign, Fioretti received an endorsement from Jesse Jackson Sr..
State Senate
In 2016, Fioretti also ran for the Illinois State Senate. He challenged Patricia Van Pelt for the Democratic nomination for the 5th district but was unsuccessful.
Images for kids
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Fioretti in 2015
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Fioretti leading a bike tour in his ward in September 2014
