Maria Hadden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maria Hadden
Hadden in 2018
Member of the Chicago City Council from the 49th ward
Incumbent
Assumed office May 20, 2019
Preceded by	Joe Moore
Personal details
Born	Maria Elaine Hadden (1981-01-20) January 20, 1981 (age 44) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Natalia Vera
Education	Ohio State University (BA) DePaul University (MS)

Maria Elaine Hadden is an American politician and community leader from Chicago. She is a member of the Chicago City Council, which is like the city's main governing body. She serves as the alderperson for Chicago's 49th ward. A "ward" is a local area or neighborhood within a city.

Maria Hadden won her first election for this role in 2019. She was reelected in 2023. The 49th ward covers most of Rogers Park and parts of West Ridge. She is part of several groups within the City Council, including the Progressive Caucus and the Black Caucus.

Early Life and Education

Maria Hadden was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1981. She went to Ohio State University and earned a bachelor's degree. Her studies focused on international peace and how to solve conflicts.

In 2003, she moved to Waukegan, Illinois, to start a job with the AmeriCorps VISTA program. This program helps communities by fighting poverty. She then moved to Chicago in 2004. Later, she earned a master's degree from DePaul University. This degree was in international public service management.

Early Work and Political Journey

Maria Hadden was a founding board member of the Participatory Budgeting Project. From 2010 to 2018, she worked to bring "participatory budgeting" to cities. This is a way for regular people to help decide how public money is spent.

She also led a non-profit group called Our City Our Voice. She served on the boards of other non-profit organizations too. Maria Hadden was an active member of Network 49, a local political group in Rogers Park. She also worked with United Working Families.

Running for Alderperson

Logo for Hadden's 2019 campaign for 49th ward alderwoman

On January 20, 2018, Maria Hadden announced she would run for alderperson in the 49th ward. This ward includes most of Rogers Park and parts of West Ridge. She and the current alderperson, Joe Moore, were the only candidates on the ballot for the February 2019 election.

Maria Hadden's campaign focused on important issues for the community. These included making sure new buildings helped everyone, not just a few. She also wanted to make sure local public schools received enough money. Supporting a strong local economy was another key goal. Many groups and politicians supported her, like Chuy García. Maria Hadden won the election on February 26, 2019. She received 63% of the votes. She won in almost all the voting areas in the ward.

After winning, Maria Hadden said she would check all the services in the ward. She also planned to create a group to help the community get involved. In April 2019, she joined other new City Council members. They protested against using special funding for large real estate projects.

Chicago City Council (2019–Present)

Maria Hadden officially became a member of the Chicago City Council on May 20, 2019.

City-Wide Issues

City Budget Decisions

Maria Hadden was one of 11 aldermen who voted against the proposed city budget in 2020. This budget was put forward by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Maria Hadden said she was happy about some parts of the budget. These included more money for housing and mental health care. However, she was concerned that the city had not found enough new ways to raise money. She felt this was needed to fix problems from the past and make things fairer. Before the vote, Maria Hadden talked with people in her ward about the budget.

Public Health Efforts

Maria Hadden helped create a "senior safety" rule. This rule was made with a group called the Jane Addams senior caucus. It passed in July 2020. The rule requires managers of senior housing buildings to regularly check on residents. This helps make sure older people are safe and well.

Environmental Protection

Maria Hadden was one of the first to support a new law. This law would ban single-use plastics and styrofoam in most restaurants. This helps protect the environment.

Ward-Level Issues

Community Health Support

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Maria Hadden worked with State Representative Kelly Cassidy. They also teamed up with local community groups. Together, they created the Rogers Park community response team. This team helped people in Rogers Park stay informed. They also helped residents get important resources during the crisis. They offered information online and set up a phone line for advice. Volunteers also safely delivered groceries and medicines.

In August 2021, Maria Hadden pushed for the Chicago Park District to add life rings at beaches. This happened after a drowning accident and requests from local residents. The Park District installed life rings in Rogers Park in September 2021. They also promised to add more along the lakefront.

Committees and Groups

From 2019 to 2023, Maria Hadden was part of eight different committees in the City Council. These committees deal with topics like the economy, environment, housing, and health. She also joined the City Council's Progressive Caucus and Black Caucus. She served as the treasurer for the Progressive Caucus. Since 2023, Maria Hadden has been a co-chair of the Progressive Caucus.

Political Relationships

After winning her election in 2019, Maria Hadden supported other candidates running for City Council. These included Andre Vasquez and Matt Martin. She chose not to support any candidate in the 2019 mayoral election. She wanted to be an independent alderperson. In the 2023 Chicago mayoral election, Maria Hadden supported Brandon Johnson. He later won the election.

Personal Life

Maria Hadden's partner and spouse is Natalia Vera. Natalia Vera was elected to the local school council for Joyce Kilmer Elementary School in Rogers Park in April 2018.

Electoral History

See also

• List of Chicago aldermen since 1923