With nearly 54 percent of the votes, Chicago, IL Local 2 member Nick Sposato unequivocally won his seat to represent the 38th Ward on the City Council. Of the five other candidates also running for the seat, nonprofit executive Heather Sattler had the second most votes with 16 percent.The City of Chicago runs open primaries. Those candidates who win better than 50 percent of the vote are automatically elected. Those with less than 50 percent must face their closest challenger in a run-off election.
Local 2 President Tom Ryan says local members are very proud to have such a strong community leader among them. “Chicago is a difficult place to win an election outright in the primary, especially when you have so many candidates,” says Ryan. “The fact that he was able to do so with more than 50 percent of the votes is a profound statement about the level of support he has.”
“I would not be where I am today without the support of my local and the rest of labor,” says Sposato, a 2010 IAFF Political Training Academy graduate. His campaign was supported by both Chicago Local 2 and FIREPAC.
He adds, “I am looking forward to representing my constituents in the 38th Ward where I plan to continue my strong support of public safety and education, as well as my dedication to being accessible to the citizens in my Ward.”
Sposato was first elected to the Chicago City Council to represent the 36th Ward in 2011. But after the City’s Wards were remapped, the he decided to run for the 38th Ward seat.
The seat was an open seat as incumbent Tim Cullerton announced last year that he would not run for re-election. His announcement marked the end of the Cullerton era as a member of the family had held the seat since 1973.
