We believe that one key step in moving towards our vision of a radically different economy that prioritizes people and the planet is to run grassroots campaigns to elect progressive movement leaders from the communities where we organize. The People’s Lobby has played a key role in electing and re-electing progressive leaders who are making a real difference at multiple levels of government, and we have endorsed dozens of candidates who have won their elections.

The following are just a few of the officials TPL helped elect by knocking on doors or phone banking to talk with voters:

• Mayor Brandon Johnson, whom we helped elect when he ran for Cook County Board in 2018 and then helped elect as Chicago Mayor in 2023, is one of the most progressive mayors of a major city in U.S. history.
• State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who has played a significant leadership role since winning her first election in decreasing incarceration in Cook County.
• Illinois Senator Robert Peters, who served as TPL’s Political Director prior to his time in office and then served as a key champion in passing the Pretrial Fairness Act.
• Two TPL members, Alders Daniel La Spata and Andre Vasquez, were elected in 2019 to the Chicago City Council in races against incumbents who outspent them 10-1 and 7-1, respectively. We also talked with voters to help elect Aldes Maria Hadden, Rossana Rodriguez, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, and Jeanette Taylor.
• Illinois State Representatives Will Guzzardi, Theresa Mah, Lindsey LaPointe, Anne Stava-Murray, and Kevin Olickal, and Illinois Senators Omar Aquino, Laura Ellman, Ram Villivalam, Ann Gillespie, Robert Martwick, and Rachel Ventura.
• Former TPL Board member Anthony Quezada, who served as Cook County Commissioner after defeating a longtime incumbent backed by the machine and law enforcement, is now serving as 35th Ward Alder.
• Illinois Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, who ran after serving as Illinois State representative on a platform to expand Medicare, protect women’s right to choose, and ensure housing is a human right.