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. She used to be an alderman for the Chicago City Council. An alderman is like a city council member. She represented the 4th ward in Chicago. This area includes parts of Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland, and South Loop.

Sophia King was chosen for the job in 2016 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. She took over from William D. Burns, who retired. She won a special election in 2017 to keep her seat. Then, she was re-elected for a full term in 2019. While on the council, she led the Chicago City Council Progressive Reform Caucus. In 2023, she decided not to run for her council seat again. Instead, she ran for mayor of Chicago but did not win.

Early Life and Education

Sophia King was born in Colorado. She grew up in Evanston, Illinois. She went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There, she earned a bachelor's degree. Later, she got a master's degree from Northwestern University. This degree was in education and social policy.

In the late 1980s, King moved to Kenwood. She built a house there with her husband, Alan. Her husband studied law with Michelle Obama. The King family is friends with the Obama family.

Professional Career

Before becoming a politician, Sophia King was a chemistry teacher. She taught at the Latin School of Chicago. From 1996 to 2003, she owned a small business. It was a pottery bar called Brush Streaks.

In 1996, King helped start the Ariel Community Academy. She worked with Mellody Hobson, who leads Ariel Investments. This school helps kids in the North Kenwood and Oakland neighborhoods. It aims to give them a great education.

King also helped with Barack Obama's campaigns. She was involved in his run for president in 2007–2008. She also founded Harriett's Daughters. This is a nonprofit group. It helps African-American neighborhoods find jobs and build wealth. Before joining the city council, King was the president of this group.

Serving on the Chicago City Council (2016–2023)

Becoming an Alderman

In April 2016, Mayor Rahm Emanuel chose Sophia King. She became the new alderman for the 4th ward. The previous alderman, Will Burns, had left his job. King was sworn into the City Council on April 13, 2016.

The 4th ward is a diverse area. It includes neighborhoods like Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Oakland, and Kenwood. It also has parts of the South Loop. King had lived in the 4th ward since the 1980s.

King decided to run for the seat in a special election in 2017. She won easily, getting almost 64% of the votes. She had support from many important people. This included President Barack Obama, who was a long-time friend. Obama used to live in the 4th Ward. She also had support from County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Jesse Jackson, a famous civil rights leader, also supported her.

In her 2019 re-election, King again had support from Obama and Preckwinkle. She won her re-election easily. She received more than 66% of the votes.

Committee Work

As an alderman, King was part of several important committees. These included committees on Rules and Ethics, Health and Environmental Protection, and Housing. She also worked on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, and Workforce Development. She was the leader of the Chicago City Council Progressive Reform Caucus. This group works for progressive changes in the city.

Working with Mayors

Sophia King worked with two mayors during her time on the council. These were Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Mayor Emanuel appointed King to the council. King's husband had some issues with city rules. He had done work that was seen as trying to influence the mayor. The city board asked him to follow specific rules. King thought the board was not being fair. They later agreed to resolve the issue.

When Lori Lightfoot became mayor in 2019, King sometimes worked with her. Other times, they disagreed. For example, they had different ideas about rules for home museums. They also disagreed about the city buying Mercy Hospital and Medical Center.

Minimum Wage Increase

King strongly supported raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. In June 2019, she introduced a plan called "Raise Chicago." This plan would have increased the minimum wage in Chicago. The Progressive Reform Caucus supported her plan.

Mayor Lightfoot also wanted a $15 minimum wage. However, she did not fully support King's first plan. They had discussions for months. A new plan was finally passed in November 2019. King supported this compromise.

The new law raised the minimum wage for most workers. For large businesses, it went from $13 to $14 in July 2020. It then went to $15 in July 2021. For smaller businesses, the increase was slower. It reached $15 by July 2023. After that, the wage will increase each year based on the cost of living.

Protecting Historic Places

King worked to protect important historic buildings. She helped make the former headquarters of Ebony and Jet magazines a city landmark. This means the building is protected because of its history.

In 2021, King suggested new rules for historic house museums. These are homes turned into museums. She wanted them to get special permission to open in residential areas. Some people and groups disagreed with her idea. They worried it would stop new museums from opening. For example, museums planned for the homes of Emmett Till and Muddy Waters. King later withdrew her proposal.

Public Safety and Policing

King helped create the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. This group helps oversee the police. She also introduced a rule about special events. It increased the notice time organizers need to give for events. The city council approved this rule. King also supported a rule that stops police from doing "no-knock warrants." This means police must knock before entering a home.

Community Development

King supported "aldermanic prerogative." This is an unwritten rule. It gives aldermen a lot of say over building and development in their own ward. She also wanted more fairness in how communities are developed.

King did not want a casino built in the Bronzeville area. She opposed any casino in the 4th ward.

Universal Basic Income

In 2021, King worked with other aldermen. They proposed a plan for a "$30 million pilot program" for universal basic income. This means giving people a regular amount of money to help them. The city council approved this idea. The next year, Mayor Lightfoot started a similar program.

Helping the Homeless

King supported the "Bring Chicago Home" plan. This plan aimed to raise money to help people experiencing homelessness. It suggested increasing a tax on very expensive property sales. This plan was voted on after King left the council, but it did not pass.

Other Important Work

King was involved in renaming Congress Parkway to honor Ida B. Wells. Wells was a famous journalist and civil rights activist. King also helped rename Lake Shore Drive to honor Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. He was the first permanent non-indigenous settler of Chicago.

King also stopped a car sharing program from operating in her ward. She was worried about parking space for residents.

Running for Mayor in 2023

In August 2022, Sophia King announced she would run for mayor of Chicago. She was challenging the current mayor, Lori Lightfoot. Lightfoot was the city's second female mayor. Because King ran for mayor, she did not seek re-election to the City Council.

As a mayoral candidate, King suggested making the Chicago police force larger. She wanted to fill empty positions. She also wanted to bring back retired officers to investigate less serious crimes.

King shared her tax returns during the campaign. Her household income was the highest among the candidates who released their tax returns.

In the first round of the election, King did not win. She placed eighth out of nine candidates. She received less than 7,200 votes. After the first round, King supported Paul Vallas in the runoff election.

Personal Life

Sophia King has been married to Alan King since the 1980s. They have two adult daughters. Her husband is a lawyer. He is also a DJ in a group called "Chosen Few." Sophia King has been the main organizer for the annual summer music festivals hosted by Chosen Few.

Tax returns from 2021 showed that Sophia King and her husband earned over $771,000. This included King's public salary and money from her husband's law firm.

Election Results