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Alexandria Willis
Alexandria Willis ran for election to the Chicago City Council to represent Ward 3 in Illinois. She lost in the general election on February 26, 2019.
Willis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Willis responded to Ballotpedia's unique candidate survey for 2019 Chicago candidates. The survey questions were developed with input from more than 100 Chicagoans in the months preceding the 2019 election. Here is one selected response:
"[F]ighting corruption in Chicago is one of my top priorities. We need campaign finance reform, and stricter regulations on corruption."
Click here to read more of Willis' responses.
Elections
2019
See also: City elections in Chicago, Illinois (2019)
General election
General election for Chicago City Council Ward 3
Incumbent Pat Dowell defeated Alexandria Willis in the general election for Chicago City Council Ward 3 on February 26, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Pat Dowell (Nonpartisan) | 69.0 | 9,085 |
Alexandria Willis (Nonpartisan)  | 31.0 | 4,079 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 3 | ||
| Total votes: 13,167 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- LeAlan M. Jones (Nonpartisan)
- Darva Watkins (Nonpartisan)
- Andre Love (Nonpartisan)
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Chicago 2019 Candidate Survey
Alexandria Willis completed Ballotpedia's Chicago candidates survey for 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Willis' responses.
Low-income families do not have the same choices, options, or alternatives when it comes to public school. How can this be addressed?
Replace chronic disinvestment with enrichment, funding, and innovation. As alderman. Put a stop to school closures, and put a moratorium on the creation of new charter schools within the ward. Advocate on the city council to stop school closings and the expansion of charter schools on a citywide level. Turn buildings still owned by the city from former school closings into community spaces. Increase support and funding for afterschool programs, art and music programs, and libraries in schools.
How can public schools better support their teachers and work more productively with the teachers’ union, parents, and the community?
Fight for an elected school board that reflects the diversity in race, socioeconomic status, religion, ethnicity, and neighborhoods of the city. A board that makes decisions impacting the lives of Chicago’s children must be elected by and accountable to parents and guardians. Increase support for local school committees, and meet monthly with ward principles to ensure the unique needs of every school are being heard. Visit schools throughout the ward on a regular basis to meet with teachers, administrators, and students in their own spaces of learning to listen to their experiences, and also to explore the schools to ensure they are being maintained properly.
Do you believe that there is corruption in Chicago politics, such as pay-to-play practices when the city awards bids? If so, how would you address it?
Yes, fighting corruption in Chicago is one of my top priorities. We need campaign finance reform, and stricter regulations on corruption.
How would you make the city’s policies more responsive to community input instead of donors or special interests?
Campaign finance reform, participatory budgeting, community driven zoning and development, and community benefits agreements.
How would you handle the “recurrence of unaddressed racially discriminatory conduct by officers” identified in the U.S. Justice Department’s investigative report of the Chicago PD published in 2017?
Firmly support the creation of a civilian police accountability council. All the people of Chicago deserve fair treatment by law enforcement. The harassment and targeting of black and brown communities by police leads to ineffective policing, an environment of fear of seeking out protection and support when a crime has been committed, and the disruption of family systems by wrongful arrest and imprisonment.
What sort of proposals would help reduce police shootings and fatalities?
Advocate on city council for demilitarizing police, and moving resources towards training police on crisis management, domestic violence, and community engagement. Increasing Referrals to Human Service Providers in Ward Rather Than Jail To Get Families the Help They Need Improving Reentry Housing, Jobs, and Education for Chicagoans Who Have Paid Their Debt to Society Ending the Racially Bias Gang Database Supporting Office of Violence Prevention with $30 million in funding
Would you be in favor of freezing property taxes, at least for low-income households, so that people can stay where they are living?
Yes and would identify funding sources, potentially TIF money, that middle and low income homeowners can use for home improvement projects they cannot afford, such as foundation repairs, roof repairs, and other necessities that could potentially force a family to be displaced without support.
How would you increase access to quality food and urgent care in all parts of the city?
Fight to reopen community mental health clinics shut down because of budget cuts. Conduct an analysis of health outcomes in the ward, identify where services are lacking, and seek out funding sources to address needs. Increase access to physical and mental health services in community spaces such as schools, libraries, and churches. Increase the presence and accessibility of social workers to help community members access services, health insurance, and supportive programs. Address the disproportionate rates of pre and postnatal health, and infant mortality among black women nationally and in the city of Chicago. This is a public health crisis and human rights issue being neglected by government and public health agencies.
How will you address public health concerns such as contaminated drinking water, rat infestation, and lead poisoning?
Demand that city government take action to replace every lead service line and every fixture containing lead that comes in contact with water used for drinking, cooking, or bathing in homes, schools, parks, churches, and other community facilities. Fight the privatization of water resources in Chicago. Ensure that clean water is accessible to every Chicagoan by advocating for financial relief through adjusted water rates for low-income households, and emergency assistance programs for community members experiencing financial crises. Work on city council to ban all construction materials known to be carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting.
How would you make Chicago a cleaner city with less waste and pollution?
Demand that industrial factories stop irresponsibly dumping toxic waste near schools and community spaces resulting in unhealthy levels of metals and pollutants in soil that children play in and are exposed to.
What would be your first steps for improving the transit system in terms of affordability, accessibility, and safety?
Conduct an assessment of whether or not routes children use to get to local schools are safe, well lit, and accessible to those with disabilities. Ensure that there are adequate bike lanes throughout the ward. Mandate that all new buildings and businesses be wheelchair accessible. Identify parts of the ward where street lights are lacking, and increase the number of lights and general visibility. Address the presence of abandoned lots, homes, and storefronts.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2019 Elections
External links
Footnotes
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