This election is a big day for the 5th Ward. With Ald. Leslie Hairston retiring, the residents of Hyde Park, South Shore, Greater Grand Crossing, and Woodlawn have the opportunity to elect bold new leadership.

Eleven candidates are on the ballot, but we know from deep experience that Desmon Yancy is the leader who will work for everyone!

Desmon is an organizer through and through. He got his start at SEIU Healthcare and later worked for SEIU Local 1, Grassroots Collaborative, United Working Families, Action Now, Workers Center for Racial Justice, and Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN).

Desmon was an instrumental leader of the campaign to pass the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance. To deliver historic police oversight, Desmon helped lead our coalition through years of organizing people on the outside, negotiating on the inside, and building coalitions needed to pass the legislation.

As 5th Ward residents look for an alderperson who can truly deliver on issues like public safety, mental health care, homelessness, and more, they need someone who knows how to take ideas, energy, and knowledge from the community and make it into reality. Desmon is that leader!

In addition to his decorated organizing career, Desmon boasts a progressive platform that will serve all Chicagoans. He supports Treatment Not Trauma, Bring Chicago Home, Childcare For All, and other campaigns. The 5th Ward and the city of Chicago need someone who will not only vote “yes” on key pieces of like these, but someone who will be an outspoken champion for them.

Thus far, JCUA Votes members have contacted more than 4,500 people on the doors and phone in the 5th Ward and held nearly 600 conversations.

Desmon has a vision for a brighter future for the 5th Ward, the South Side, and all of Chicago. We’ve seen him do the work. Tomorrow let’s send him to City Council!

Let’s go win, #Yids4Yancy!