Matt Martin (Chicago politician) facts for kids

Matt Martin was born on March 5, 1984. He is an American politician. He currently serves on the Chicago City Council. This is like a local government team for the city of Chicago. He represents the city's 47th ward. A ward is a specific area or neighborhood in a city.

Matt Martin was first elected as an alderman in 2019. An alderman is a member of the city council. He was re-elected in 2023. The 47th ward covers parts of several Chicago neighborhoods. These include North Center, Lincoln Square, Lakeview, and Uptown.

Early Life and Education

Matt Martin was born in Arizona. He went to Northwestern University on a music scholarship. There, he studied jazz music and political science. Political science is the study of how governments work. Later, he graduated from Harvard Law School. This means he became a lawyer.

After law school, Martin worked as a civil rights lawyer. A civil rights lawyer helps protect people's basic rights and freedoms. He worked in the Illinois Attorney General's office. He also helped start a group called the Heart of Lincoln Square Neighbors Association. This group helps people in his neighborhood.

Becoming an Alderman: The 2019 Campaign

When Matt Martin ran for alderman in 2019, he focused on important issues. He wanted to make sure public schools had enough money. He also aimed to keep housing affordable in his ward. He worked to help homeowners with property taxes. Another key goal was to make sure the police were held accountable for their actions.

Many people and groups supported him. The Chicago Tribune newspaper said he was independent. They believed he would be a strong new voice on the City Council. He also got support from former Cook County Clerk David Orr. Groups like ONE People's Campaign and United Working Families also endorsed him.

In the first election on February 26, 2019, Matt Martin got the most votes. He was one of nine candidates. Since no one won more than half the votes, he went to a second election. This is called a runoff election. He faced Michael Negron in the runoff on April 2, 2019.

Before the runoff, more people and groups supported Martin. These included other elected officials. The Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU Healthcare Illinois also backed him. On April 2, 2019, Matt Martin won the runoff election. He received 62.6% of the votes.

Soon after winning, on April 10, 2019, Martin joined other new council members. They protested against approving money for two big real estate projects. These were called Lincoln Yards and The 78.

Serving on the Chicago City Council (2019–Present)

As an alderman, Matt Martin works on many important issues for Chicago.

City Budget Decisions

The city budget is a plan for how the city will spend its money. In 2020, Mayor Lori Lightfoot proposed a new budget. Matt Martin was one of 11 aldermen who voted against it. He was part of the Progressive Caucus. This group often pushes for changes that help more people.

Martin explained his vote. He said the budget didn't find new ways to get money. He also felt it didn't put enough money into social services. These are programs that help people in need. He believed the city missed chances to make big changes for the future. Matt Martin held many public meetings to talk about the budget with people in his ward.

Working with Other Aldermen

When he started his term in 2019, Matt Martin joined two important groups. He joined the Progressive Caucus. A caucus is a group of people with similar ideas. He also joined the Black Caucus. These groups help aldermen work together on issues they care about.

See also

• List of Chicago aldermen since 1923