Mayor Lori Lightfoot will have the chance to appoint a fourth member to the Chicago City Council next month, as 12th Ward Ald. George Cardenas announced he is stepping down as alderman effective Nov. 30.
Cardenas is slated to take a seat on the Cook County Board of Review, a property tax appeals body, following next Tuesday’s elections. He is unopposed. Whoever Lightfoot picks to succeed him will have an incumbency advantage heading into municipal elections in 2023.
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Cardenas has represented the ward — which includes McKinley Park, Brighton Park and part of Little Village — since 2003, and has been a reliable mayoral ally through the Richard J. Daley, Rahm Emanuel and Lightfoot administrations. Cardenas has led iterations of the council’s environmental protection committee since 2011 and served as Lightfoot’s deputy floor leader responsible for whipping votes since last year.
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“When I first ran for office, communities in the 12th Ward faced immense challenges and lacked fundamental resources. As alderman, I maintained a laserlike focus on the real issues affecting my constituents. My staff and I have worked diligently to be efficient, responsive and accountable,” he said in his resignation letter, citing the construction of Back of the Yards High School and Calmeca Academy as key accomplishments.
“It is my hope that my successor builds on these efforts and is a leader who is not afraid to make tough decisions to keep our communities healthy and safe,” he wrote.
In a late Tuesday tweet, Lightfoot lauded Cardenas, saying he guided the City Council “through some of the most challenging moments in Chicago’s history.”
“His leadership and insight both in and out of council chambers make him a superb colleague & confidante, and an even better friend.” she wrote.
Despite such praise, Lightfoot and Cardenas occasionally butted heads over politics and policy. Earlier this year, when Ald. Anthony Beale unsuccessfully pushed to repeal the city’s 6mph speed camera fines, Lightfoot texted Cardenas telling him, “Do not vote for this Beale nonsense.”
“If this (passes) committee today, which I hope it does not, I am going to blast all the supporters as police defunders and promoting less safe streets around schools and parks,” Lightfoot texted. “I would prefer not to include you in that list, one week out from your election and give your opponent a talking point.”
The mayor’s text led to a series of exchanges that are revealing of how City Hall runs under Lightfoot. Cardenas responded, “I’m going to support you. But also need to get stuff done. Nada happens and I don’t operate that way. I need to get things done.”
The mayor responded that she would work with him but criticized the speed camera threshold repeal as blowing a hole in the budget and harming public safety.
“People are frustrated nothing get done,” Cardenas responded. “I don’t like these tactics but sometimes you can’t accept business as usual. Over the years. Schools, a park, very needed infrastructure and over the last few years I got nothing to show for. My community expects much from me.”
Lightfoot followed up to say they should “sit down and talk about it and come up with a plan.”
“I am with you all the time and this is the first I am hearing about this. But being (pissed) off about projects cannot be a justification for making communities all over the city less safe a blowing a hole in our budget,” she said. “That is just not responsible.”
In response, Cardenas said, “You have the toughest job and I’m not a crybaby. Staff should be able to handle these things. I never had to bother any Mayor especially when we are strong Allies. Anyway I agree separate conversation.”
The mayor reassured him, “Ok. But you are not just an ally but a friend and we need to deliver for you.”
In the end, Cardenas voted with Beale to lower the speed camera threshold, though the measure failed.
Cardenas has already endorsed his former chief of staff, Anabel Abarca, to take his place. She was also an aide to U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and worked on now-Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s 2012 campaign for Congress. Julia Ramirez has also filed paperwork with the city and state to run in the 12th Ward.
Cardenas’ replacement follows three others this year, as several aldermen already left the Council. Roughly a dozen others are not running for reelection.
In September, Lightfoot appointed Timmy Knudsen to replace retiring Ald. Michele Smith in the 43rd Ward. In June, she picked outgoing 24th Ward Ald. Michael Scott’s sister, Monique Scott, to replace him over 18 other applicants. Scott left the City Council to take a job in the private sector at the Cinespace film studio. Not long after, he became Lightfoot’s pick for a seat on the Chicago Board of Education.
In March, she selected Nicole Lee, a United Airlines director with deep roots in the city’s Chinese American community, to serve as 11th Ward alderman. Lee, the first Asian American woman on the Chicago City Council, replaced Patrick Daley Thompson following a February felony conviction for tax evasion and lying to banking regulators.
