CHATHAM — Ald. Michelle Harris, the five‑term alderwoman for Chicago’s 8th Ward, has filed to run for a sixth term. The filing, made with the Chicago Board of Elections, shows Harris will be joined by four challengers: Yolonda Mack, Dr. Jimmy “Jaye” Jones, Ruthie Moore and Brittney “Bee” Gault.
Ward profile and Harris’s record
The 8th Ward covers parts of South Shore, Grand Crossing, Chatham, Burnside, Pill Hill, Avalon Park, Calumet Heights, Cottage Grove Heights and Pullman. Harris was appointed to the City Council in 2006 after former Ald. Todd Stroger left to run for Cook County Board President. She won election in 2007 and has been re‑elected in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023.
During her two‑decade tenure, Harris has highlighted several development projects. Most recently she helped bring a $32 million senior‑housing complex to Pullman and secured funding to upgrade two Metra stations in East Chatham. In 2022 she expanded the network of cameras and license‑plate readers along Stony Island Avenue to deter carjackings and illegal drag racing.
Recent controversy
Last year Harris drew criticism for supporting a rezoning plan around the $100 million Regal Mile Studios development in South Shore. The proposed media campus would add 380,000 square feet of studio space. One developer warned the rezoning could jeopardize plans to revitalize a long‑vacant property.
Challengers and their platforms
Yolonda Mack, a South Shore resident, is running on a platform of increased community engagement. In a campaign statement she wrote, “It goes without saying that many neighborhoods and citizens in our community have been ignored. I am not here to tell you what you already know; I AM HERE TO FIND SOLUTIONS.”
Dr. Jimmy “Jaye” Jones emphasizes public safety, transparency, green‑space revitalization, small‑business investment and housing affordability. A 24‑year Navy veteran and attorney, Jones founded the South Shore Park Neighbors Association to create a “vital safety link” for residents. He says his military experience will guide his work as alderman.
Ruthie Moore is a youth advocate and civic leader who focuses on youth engagement, business investment, government transparency, housing stability and safety. Moore, a DePaul University graduate, has served on a local school council for six years and previously led the university’s Black Alumni Committee. She calls for cleaner streets, reopening shuttered storefronts and stronger action on vacant properties.
Brittney “Bee” Gault positions herself with the progressive wing of the City Council. She criticizes the current Democratic leadership for what she describes as a lack of transparency and inaction. Gault opposes the mayor’s proposed corporate head tax and millionaires tax, while also supporting a pay raise for council members. Her platform calls for taxing large corporations, capping residential property taxes, expanding community engagement and encouraging more residential development.
Petition challenges
Both Mack and Jones face petition objections. The Board of Elections has listed Tanya Denise Anderson as the objector to Mack’s petition and Deidre K. Smith as the objector to Jones’s petition. If the objections are upheld, the two candidates could be removed from the ballot.
The Board will hold hearings on these challenges before certifying the final ballot by mid‑December. Chicago voters will cast their ballots on February 23.
What’s at stake
The race reflects a broader conversation in the 8th Ward about development, public safety and community participation. Harris’s supporters point to her track record on senior housing and transit improvements, while her challengers argue for greater transparency, more resident input and new approaches to economic development.
Residents are encouraged to review the candidates’ platforms, attend the upcoming petition hearings and prepare to vote in the February election.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
