Pat Dowell

Pat Dowell is a member of the Chicago City Council in Illinois, representing Ward 3. She assumed office in 2007. Her current term ends on May 17, 2027.

Dowell ran for re-election to the Chicago City Council to represent Ward 3 in Illinois. She won in the general election on February 28, 2023.

Biography

Pat Dowell was born in Jamaica, Queens, in New York, New York. Dowell earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester in 1978 and a graduate degree from the University of Chicago in 1980. Her career experience includes serving as alderman for Chicago's 3rd Ward and working as a social worker, city planner, and deputy commissioner in the planning and development department for the city of Chicago. Dowell has been affiliated with the Third Ward Democratic Organization.^[1]

Elections

2023

General election

General election for Chicago City Council Ward 3

Incumbent Pat Dowell defeated Don Davis and Jasmine Roberson in the general election for Chicago City Council Ward 3 on February 28, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pat Dowell (Nonpartisan)	99.2	9,556
	Submit photo	Don Davis (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.6	57
	Submit photo	Jasmine Roberson (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.2	16

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,629
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Alan Rasho (Nonpartisan)

2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Jonathan Jackson defeated Eric Carlson, Tori Nicholson, and Babette Peyton in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jonathan Jackson (D)	67.0	159,142
		Eric Carlson (R)	33.0	78,258
	Submit photo	Tori Nicholson (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	13
		Babette Peyton (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	12

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 237,425
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Mitchel Davilo (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jonathan Jackson	28.2	21,607
		Pat Dowell	19.0	14,594
		Karin Norington-Reaves	14.1	10,825
		Jacqueline Collins	12.1	9,299
		Chris Butler	5.4	4,141
		Jahmal Cole	5.3	4,045
		Jonathan Swain	3.3	2,554
		Michael Thompson	2.2	1,680
	Submit photo	Charise Williams	2.1	1,601
		Cassandra Goodrum	1.9	1,422
		Marcus Lewis	1.2	901
		Robert Palmer	1.2	899
	Submit photo	Nykea Pippion McGriff	1.2	892
		Terre Layng Rosner	1.0	780
	Submit photo	Ameena Nuur Matthews	0.9	686
		Kirby Birgans	0.7	511
		Steven DeJoie	0.3	251

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 76,688
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Eric Carlson defeated Jeff Regnier, Geno Young, and Philanise White in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eric Carlson	40.5	10,755
		Jeff Regnier	39.0	10,375
	Submit photo	Geno Young	14.5	3,853
		Philanise White	6.0	1,598

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,581
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Matthew O'Keefe (R)

Endorsements

To view Dowell's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

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
	Submit photo	Alexandria Willis (Nonpartisan)	31.0	4,079
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	3

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

LeAlan M. Jones (Nonpartisan)
Darva Watkins (Nonpartisan)
Andre Love (Nonpartisan)

2015

See also: Chicago, Illinois municipal elections, 2015

The city of Chicago, Illinois, held elections for city council on February 24, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was November 24, 2014.^[2] In the general election for Ward 3, incumbent Pat Dowell defeated Patricia Horton.^[3] Clarence Desmond Clemons was removed from the ballot in December 2014.^[4]

Chicago City Council, Ward 3, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Pat Dowell Incumbent	72.9%	7,441
Patricia Horton	27.1%	2,768
Total Votes		10,209
Source: Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "Official general election results," accessed July 9, 2015

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

Pat Dowell did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Pat Dowell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dowell's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a workhorse, not a show horse. Public service is in my bones. My father was involved in PTA, my mother in our community, block club, and church activities. I attended a lot of meetings with them and I saw what can happen when people come together to make change in their lives - it's powerful. That’s why I became a social worker.

For me, elected office is the highest form of public service. I am good at connecting resources together with people who need them, and I like implementing solutions so everyone can live a happy life. I reach into the bowels of democracy and find programs or resources and put them to use in the community.

I'm passionate about small business development, building intergenerational wealth, and helping peoples' dreams become reality. I enjoy doing difficult stuff like renovating a landmark building that should be torn down, cutting-edge stuff like bringing in a hydroponic farm, and ending a food desert by getting good grocery stores to invest in the community.

Put simply, I like doing the work to make the communities better. That's why I'm running because I can bring federal resources back first congressional district and help communities longest denied thrive.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Bringing resources back to the district
Preventing gun violence
Small business development

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Small business and community development, preventing gun violence, protecting voters' rights, and superior constituent services.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I have a couple of people that were inspirational to me.

One was the late U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm of New York. I was 11 years old when she was elected, becoming the first African American woman elected to Congress. Since I grew up in New York, I was able to follow her career, and it had a strong impact. I was really inspired by her, particularly how fiercely she represented her constituency.

The other person that I looked up to was a very simple lady by the name of Mrs. Jennings. Growing up, she was my neighbor. Like my mother, she was another example of a woman who got up every morning, went to work, took care of her family, and was active in the neighborhood.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Social Justice and Local Development Policy by Robert Mier

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, tenacity, compassion, leadership.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Focused, a hard worker, tenacious, and loyal

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

First, ensuring that the federal government’s resources are accessible, relevant, properly allocated for the good of the people in the first congressional district. Second, ensure that the services provided at the federal level operate at a high standard.

That was something I first saw in the city government. The people have expectations; the public will hold you to those expectations. The incumbent I beat in my election to City Council did not deliver what the people needed, particularly on how services were delivered in the ward. And as a result, the residents did not get good service because the incumbent did not pay attention.

When I was encouraged to run for Congress, many said they trusted me to look out for Chicago and the South Suburbs and bring resources back.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I'd like to be known as the leader, the congresswoman that helped create African American businesses. It is something that I've focused on as Alderman. Someone who preserves African American history.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

When I was about nine years old, my favorite uncle - Alfonso - ran for a seat on the city council in Oklahoma. I would go campaigning with him, walking door to door handing out literature. It was an exciting experience, and I loved helping my uncle. I still think of him now that I serve on the Chicago City Council.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

At age 14, I started working at a Jewish delicatessen in Queens, New York, where I grew up. My favorite part was showing the wonderful ladies that I knew how to properly cut salmon and sable. A nice perk was that lunch was always good. I would cut the salmon and put little capers in cream cheese, and roll it up for my lunch.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Social Justice and Local Development Policy by Robert Mier. Rob was a mentor to me in the field of city planning and development.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Okoye from Black Panther. She is described as highly skilled in combat, a strong leader, and a talented tactician and strategist.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Shoe Shoe Shine by The Dynamic Superiors. They were a Motown group from Washington, DC, formed in the 1960s. They were notable not just for their sound but also because they were a soul group with an openly gay lead singer, Tony Washington, which was rare.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

As an only child, I feel as though I struggle with being connected socially.

In the last 20 years, being a tall woman has actually been a challenge. One exception would be when I played basketball at the University of Rochester. People attach certain qualities to tall women, like being very outspoken. My demeanor is strong but gentle.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

I think it's a place where at a high level, you have people from all over the country with different perspectives on their community and the country trying to work together to keep America strong.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think it is beneficial because you have a sense of how policy is made.

My experiences with the City Council have shown me the importance of respecting different points of view and figuring out how to create consensus when there's conflict. So, everyone doesn't get everything that they want. But they get some of what they want.

This is how policy gets done. I think I have the experience of being able to be strong in that policy-making process by representing the interests of my constituents and making sure that some of the things that they want are reflected in the policies and the programs that are developed by the government.

I understand how to develop budgets to support those policies. How you might have to compromise because getting a necessary project completed might cost $5 million, for example. Sometimes you have to cobble pieces of funding streams together in order to make something happen.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Racism. It is pervasive and impacts every part of our lives.

It’s in the country. It's in our government. It's in our businesses. It's in how we worship. Regardless of your race, it touches every aspect of our lives.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Appropriations, Budget, Financial Services, Small Business, and Transportation.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Two years is not enough time to develop policies or programs. Even developing resources can take longer than two years. By the time you are really in a position to deliver on something, your term is up. Such a short term also forces officials always to be thinking about running for re-election. I think four years would be better.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I believe that term limits are our elections. When the people know that you continue to do the work, your constituents will continue to elect you. If you're not doing the job, people will let you know.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

The late Shirley Chisholm, U.S. Representative from New York.

She was probably a lot more outspoken than me. I strive each day to be a leader like her. But while I may be quieter, my record is loud and speaks volumes.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Mother Wade always stands out in my mind. She is a legend in our community. Her restaurant has been a gathering place for many years. People come from throughout the district for her cooking. She is also a savvy businesswoman, a leader, and a mentor to many. We sat down one day to discuss her plans to grow her business. I have always been a champion for helping small businesses to start, grow and thrive. Together, we navigated the process for her to open restaurants at McCormick Place (the convention center in Chicago) and other foodservice opportunities. Today, her business is growing and adding locations and services including McCormick Place - she is feeding conventioneers from around the world.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I haven't had time for a good joke while running for Congress.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Definitely. Policymaking is like making sausage, which isn’t always pretty. That is something that not everyone understands. Everybody can and should add something until it is shaped in the best way possible. Policymaking is about the art of compromise because not everybody agrees about a particular subject. People are not monolithic and have different points of view. I’m proud to have brought people together while in the Chicago City Council, and that experience building coalitions to solve tough problems will be imperative in Congress.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I certainly would want to understand the impact that a particular revenue suggestion or bill is going to have on my constituents. I will ensure that people who earn more, and companies who earn more, pay their fair share.

It will be important that any burden is fairly distributed, particularly when my district consists of low-income, some moderate-income, and high-income people.

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.

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

External links

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Officeholder

Chicago City Council Ward 3

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 26, 2022
↑ Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "2015 Election Calendar," accessed August 21, 2014
↑ Chicago Tribune, "Unofficial election results," accessed February 24, 2015
↑ Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "General Election Candidate List," accessed December 3, 2014

Political offices
Preceded by -	Chicago City Council Ward 3 2007-Present	Succeeded by -

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 26, 2022

[2] Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "2015 Election Calendar," accessed August 21, 2014

[3] Chicago Tribune, "Unofficial election results," accessed February 24, 2015

[4] Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "General Election Candidate List," accessed December 3, 2014

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Pat Dowell

Biography

Elections

2023

General election

General election for Chicago City Council Ward 3

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

2019

General election

General election for Chicago City Council Ward 3

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2015

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

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