Garfield Park – Alderman Jason Ervin, the longtime representative of Chicago’s 28th Ward, is preparing for a fifth City Council term. The only challenger who has filed petitions to appear on the February 23 municipal ballot is community advocate Precious Joy Frasier.
Ward profile and incumbent background
The 28th Ward stretches across parts of Austin, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, Pilsen, Little Village, Little Italy and the West Loop. Ald. Ervin was first appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2011, won the subsequent election that year and has been re‑elected in every cycle since. He currently chairs the Council’s Committee on the Budget and Government Operations and serves as a close ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson. Ervin also leads the Council’s Black Caucus and is married to City Treasurer Melissa Conyears‑Ervin.
Challenger’s platform
Precious Joy Frasier, a West Side native, frames her campaign around building generational wealth, expanding affordable housing and enhancing community safety. Her résumé includes work as a community advocate, entrepreneur and nonprofit leader. Frasier’s campaign highlights a proposal to convert a former Chicago Public Schools building into the Goldblatt Girls Academy community campus, which would provide mentorship, life‑skill training, financial‑literacy workshops and career‑exploration programs for local youth.
Frasier previously earned recognition from VoyageATL magazine as a rising star for her organization Purity is Precious, which focuses on girls’ sexual health. She is also the author of the book “A Virgin and Miserable,” according to the publication.
Petition challenge process
Frasier’s petitions are currently being contested by two residents, Kathy L. Davis and Bernadine Bradford‑Coleman, as reported by the Chicago Board of Elections. To qualify for the ballot, aldermanic candidates must submit at least 473 valid signatures. Hearings on the challenges began this week, and the Board is expected to certify the final ballot by mid‑December.
What’s at stake
The race pits an experienced council member who holds significant budgetary influence against a first‑time candidate focused on grassroots community development. Voters in the 28th Ward will decide whether to continue Ervin’s leadership on the council’s budget committee or to elect a newcomer promising new initiatives for affordable housing and youth empowerment.
Both candidates have emphasized the importance of family, faith and personal responsibility in their public service messages, reflecting the values that many residents hold dear. As the filing deadline passes and petition challenges are resolved, the 28th Ward’s electorate will have a clear choice on the ballot this February.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
