Sophia King facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sophia King
King in 2022
Member of the Chicago City Council from the 4th ward
In office April 13, 2016 – May 15, 2023
Preceded by	William D. Burns
Succeeded by	Lamont Robinson
Personal details
Born	(1966-02-14) February 14, 1966 (age 59) Colorado, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Alan King
Education	University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (BA) Northwestern University (MEd)

Sophia D. King (born February 14, 1966) is an American politician who served on the Chicago City Council. She represented the city's 4th ward, which is like a district in the city. This area includes neighborhoods like Bronzeville, Hyde Park, and the South Loop.

King was appointed as the ward's leader, called an alderman, in 2016 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. She later won elections in 2017 and 2019 to keep her seat. On the council, she was the leader of a group called the Progressive Reform Caucus, which works for social and political change. In 2023, she decided not to run for city council again. Instead, she ran for mayor of Chicago but was not elected.

Early Life and School

Sophia King was born in Colorado. She grew up in Evanston, Illinois, a city near Chicago. Her family moved there so her mother could attend Northwestern University. As a child, King often spent her summers in Jackson, Mississippi, where many of her relatives lived.

King went to college at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned a degree in chemistry. She later got a master's degree in education from Northwestern University. In the late 1980s, she and her husband, Alan, built a house in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago. Her husband was friends with Michelle Obama, and their families are still friends today.

Career Before Politics

Before joining the city council, King worked as a chemistry teacher at the Latin School of Chicago. She also owned a small business, a pottery painting shop called Brush Streaks, from 1996 to 2003.

In 1996, King helped start the Ariel Community Academy with Mellody Hobson, the CEO of Ariel Investments. This school for kindergarten through 8th grade students helps children in the North Kenwood and Oakland neighborhoods get a great education.

King also started a non-profit group called Harriett's Daughters. This group helps create jobs and build wealth in African-American communities. She was the president of this organization before she was appointed to the city council.

Chicago City Council (2016–2023)

As an alderman, Sophia King represented one of the most diverse and wealthy wards in Chicago. Her job was to make decisions and create laws for the people living in her area.

Getting Elected

King was first appointed to the city council in April 2016 to replace an alderman who had resigned. To keep the job, she had to run in a special election in 2017. She won easily with almost 64% of the vote. She was supported by former President Barack Obama, who used to live in the 4th ward.

In 2019, she ran for reelection and won again with over 66% of the vote. Obama and other important Chicago leaders supported her again.

Working with Mayors

During her time on the council, King worked with two mayors: Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot. Mayor Emanuel was the one who first appointed her.

Her relationship with Mayor Lightfoot was sometimes cooperative and sometimes difficult. They worked together on some issues but disagreed on others, such as a plan for home museums and how the city handled the purchase of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center.

Important Laws and Policies

King worked on several important issues during her time as an alderman.

Raising the Minimum Wage

King was a strong supporter of the Fight for $15, a movement to raise the minimum amount a worker can be paid to $15 per hour. In 2019, she introduced a plan called "Raise Chicago" to make this happen. After months of discussion, the city council passed a law to gradually increase the minimum wage to $15.

Protecting Historic Buildings

King helped make the former headquarters of Ebony and Jet magazines an official Chicago landmark. This means the historic building is protected from being torn down.

She also had a controversial idea to limit where historic house museums could open. This plan was met with strong opposition from community groups and Mayor Lightfoot, and King eventually withdrew it.

Public Safety

King was involved in creating the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), a group that investigates complaints against police officers. She also co-sponsored a law that bans the Chicago Police Department from using no-knock warrants, which allow police to enter a home without announcing themselves first.

Other Work

• Street Names: She helped rename a major street, Congress Parkway, to honor the journalist and activist Ida B. Wells. She also helped rename Lake Shore Drive to honor Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the founder of Chicago.
• Basic Income: King supported a test program to give some families a universal basic income. This means they would receive a set amount of money each month from the city. The program, called "Resilient Communities," was later launched by Mayor Lightfoot.
• Fighting Homelessness: She co-sponsored the "Bring Chicago Home" plan. This plan aimed to raise money to help people experiencing homelessness by increasing a tax on expensive property sales.

2023 Campaign for Mayor

In August 2022, King announced she was running for mayor of Chicago. This meant she would not run for her city council seat again. As a candidate, she proposed hiring more police officers to help make the city safer.

King did not win the election. She finished eighth out of nine candidates. In the final runoff election between the top two candidates, she supported Paul Vallas, who ended up losing to Brandon Johnson.

Personal Life

Sophia King is married to Alan King, a lawyer and a DJ. They have two adult daughters. The family is known for organizing an annual summer music festival.

In 2021, tax documents showed that she and her husband had a combined income of over $770,000. This included her salary from the city and money from her husband's law firm.

Electoral history