Since Election Day two weeks ago, we’ve had the chance to relax, celebrate Passover, and reflect on our first campaign season as JCUA Votes.

Together with our partners, we helped elect Brandon Johnson as Mayor, Desmon Yancy and Angela Clay as alderpeople, and nine District Council members: Maurilio Garcia, Jenny Schaffer, Sam Schoenburg, Darrell Dacres, Anna Rubin, Deirdre O’Connor, EdVetté Jones, Marilyn Pagán-Banks and Veronica Arreola.

Victories like these deserve celebration, so JCUA Votes members came together last night to toast to our success, hear from some of the folks we helped elect, and refocus our attention on holding these new leaders accountable.

This election came down to the strength of candidates’ field campaigns, and JCUA Votes was an instrumental part of the ground-game in all our races. Since beginning campaign work in December, 220 people have taken action with us. We filled 651 canvassing or phone-banking shifts. We made 47,672 voter contact attempts, which led to 3,639 conversations and 2,133 positive IDs!

Thank you to everyone who dedicated many nights and weekends over the last few months to organizing with us. At last night’s celebration, we presented paper-plate awards to the JCUA Votes members who did the very most in each of our regional caucuses. A huge yasher koach to:

• Benetta Mansfield for Most Knocked Doors on South Side
• Rachel Doherty for Most Calls Made on South Side
• Rose Silverman for Most Knocked Doors on Near North Side
• Shula Ornstein for Most Calls Made on Near North Side
• Dalya Lessem Elnecave for Most Doors Knocked on Far North Side
• Kira Felsenfeld for Most Calls Made on Far North Side

Now that we’ve sent our allies and endorsed candidates into office, we will focus our attention to co-governance. We have the opportunity to pass Bring Chicago Home, Treatment Not Trauma, and other important legislation in the first 100 days! And with Brandon Johnson on the fifth floor supported by a more progressive City Council, we can ensure that the ECPS Ordinance is implemented in the full spirit and effectiveness for which we organized for years!