Michelle A. Harris facts for kids

Michelle A. Harris (born December 13, 1961) is an American politician. She serves as an alderperson for Chicago's 8th ward. An alderperson is a local elected official who helps run a city. Michelle Harris also leads the rules committee for the Chicago City Council.

Early Life and School

Michelle Harris grew up on the south side of Chicago. She went to Chicago Vocational High School. Later, she studied at Chicago State University.

Serving Chicago as Alderperson

Michelle Harris started her job as an alderperson in 2006. The mayor at the time, Richard M. Daley, chose her for the role. She took over after Todd Stroger left to lead the Cook County Board of Commissioners. On December 13, 2006, the Chicago City Council officially approved her. She has been reelected several times since then. She won elections in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019.

In 2015, Michelle Harris and other African-American aldermen asked Mayor Rahm Emanuel to make changes. They wanted to improve efforts to reduce crime in her ward.

During the 2019 Chicago mayoral election, Harris supported Toni Preckwinkle. Her opponent was Lori Lightfoot. Even so, Michelle Harris later worked closely with Mayor Lightfoot. She became Mayor Lightfoot's "floor leader" in the City Council. This means she was an important ally for the mayor.

Running for Clerk of Court

In 2016, Michelle Harris ran for a different job. She wanted to be the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. This office handles many important court records. She ran against the person already in the job, Dorothy A. Brown. Michelle Harris did not win this election. She received 307,392 votes.