2020 At-Large Delegate Elections
The UWF Party Committee has six at-large delegate seats available for individual members of the Party.
There are eight candidates running this year. Their questionnaires are published below in alphabetical order.
To receive the link to the ballot, you must be eligible to vote in Party Committee elections (members in good standing of affiliated orgs OR individual members who are current on their dues as of August 31), AND attend at least one of the following:
General Membership Meeting on Saturday, September 12, 10am-12pm (register here)
Candidate Forum on Thursday, September 17, 6p-8p (register here)
RESCHEDULED: Candidate Forum on Monday, September 21, 12p-2p (register here)
The voting link will be sent out on September 25, 2020 and voting will close at 11:59pm CST on Sunday, September 27.
Questions about the delegate nomination and election process should be sent to Membership Director Rocio Garcia, rocio@unitedworkingfamilies.org
Candis Castillo (she/hers)
Tell us about you: I am a mom, an organizer and a life long south side. And yes the mom part is the most meaningful part for me. My son is almost 10 years old, all the labor organizing work I did before he was even a thought was to make the world a better place. All the work I do now and since he has been born has been to continue to try and make the world a better place but also speak truth to power and change the power structure so the people are the power! I had the privilege of running the campaigns of State Rep. Delia Ramirez and Alderwoman Jeanette B.Taylor. I also ran the victorious campaign of the Graduate Student Union (GSU) at University of Chicago and a host of labor campaigns. All of these shows my son that speaking the truth is a winning strategy no matter the cost!
Why do we need to build an independent political party?Chicago has been ran by Democrats literally forever! And time after time they have instated policies that have adversely affected working people but especially Black and Brown working people. It is more than important to build a party on values that work for working class and poor people. Not just rhetoric.
What is your vision for United Working Families and how do you see your role in achieving that vision? My vision for UWF is to continue to speak truth to power and change the dynamics of power. If we want to see really change in our city we must run candidates for office who know and love our city and not people from family dynasties or heir apparent’s. I see my role as continually fighting for the far south side and every political position that encompasses. I also see myself of not letting the voice of your average working class, Black, single mom not get lose in the storm.
What might be the biggest obstacle(s) to achieving that vision and what must be done to overcome them? The biggest obstacle is organizing! We must organize Chicago but especially Black and Brown Chicago in unprecedented ways if we want to win an agenda for working and poor people. That will take hard conversations, and it won’t take just one. This is not over night work.
What political and activist work have you done, including work to build United Working Families? Managed the campaigns of Rep. Delia Ramirez and Alderwoman Jeanette B. Taylor; helped raise money for UWF
Organizational affiliations (unions, community groups, etc): UWF
GIA
UWD
Alex han (he/Him)
Tell us about you: I'm a child of immigrants, a second generation union activist, a concerned Chicagoan, a partner and a father. I've spent my entire adult life organizing for justice, and don't plan to stop.
Why do we need to build an independent political party? Because no one else will do it for us.
What is your vision for United Working Families and how do you see your role in achieving that vision? To be the political party that represents our movements for economic, racial, social, gender and climate justice. My role is to help connect those fights, and help UWF connect more deeply to those in the labor movement who want to be in that fight as well.
What might be the biggest obstacle(s) to achieving that vision and what must be done to overcome them? Entrenched interests that want to keep us divided and weak. We have to advance a bigger vision and ideology that can bring together the diversity of the working class.
What political and activist work have you done, including work to build United Working Families? Most recently, I served as Midwest Political Director for Bernie 2020. Six years ago, I was one of the founding members of United Working Families - and in the wake of the 2015 Chicago municipal elections, I was interim executive director of UWF through the 2016 election cycle. I have a long history as a union and community organizer - from anti-austerity fights of the 00s through the upsurges of Occupy and the Movement for Black Lives, I've been engaged in organizing and activism at every level, from street protest tactics to presidential campaigns.
Organizational affiliations (unions, community groups, etc): Grassroots Illinois Action, Action Now, Warehouse Workers for Justice
Mayra lopez-zuniga (she/hers)
Tell us about you: I am an undocumented Latinx mujer, raised in the southwest side of Chicago who is working against the many systems of oppression that hinder equity in this country. I believe that electoral politics are one of the many tools we should use to fight these systems but is not the end all to acquire un buen vivir, (a good dignified life) for all. I believe capitalism is evil and identity politics are dangerous. I am an organizer and electoral strategist who wants to quit politics every day but is always back for more.
Why do we need to build an independent political party? This country is in dire need of an independent political party who is not tied to corporate interest and build by working families, for working families. Our state has far too many Democrats who do the bare minimum and who are complacent, who see politics and government as something they do and not something they live. Government should work for everyone and it doesn't, far too many people are left behind - unable to access it and unable to benefit. The wealth gap in this country is wide and deep and we must pressure the political system to address the many disparities that exist as a result. I believe it is important that we elect people from our struggle/movement, who are committed to our agenda, to public office so that they use their power as electeds to agitate from the inside.
What is your vision for United Working Families and how do you see your role in achieving that vision? My vision for UWF is to transform government by overtaking city council to prevent a mass exodus of working families from Chicago. I want UWF to solidify the left into a strong political movement that is able to make demands of state government. I see my role as someone who is building the party and infrastructure that will allow us to do that. I am currently part of the political and executive committee and have helped recruit members, fundraised and shape our internal infrastructure as we grow.
What might be the biggest obstacle(s) to achieving that vision and what must be done to overcome them? Like any organization - we have growing pains. The demands of our world are too many and large for our capacity. This is something we struggle with but have done a decent job at managing. This is why the party committee is so important. Party committee members have the responsibility and ability to absorb the work that staff can't so that our party grows. We also struggle with recruiting more people of color to our space and our politics. We must do better at this - meet people where they are at. We can't build a powerful left in Chicago or our state, without Black and Brown people in our movement.
What political and activist work have you done, including work to build United Working Families? I have managed various campaigns of UWF electeds and backed candidates: Alma Anaya for Cook County, Aaron Ortiz for State Rep and Rafa Yanez for 15th ward.
Organizational affiliations (unions, community groups, etc): Also a member of Mijente
Andrea ortiz-landin (she/ella)
Tell us about you: Hija de inmigrantes mexicanos. Nacida y nurtured in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago. I learned and seen first hand how my family struggled in fear of deportation growing up, and how families continue to live in that fear. I learned first hand how unions fight for families, as my dad joined a union that helped provide healthcare for my family. I learned first hand how devastating disinvestment on the southwest side of Chicago is, and losing friends to gun violence.
I received my bachelor degrees from DePaul University in Political Science, and Latin American and Latino Studies. I began my journey in community organizing in 2016. Working as a youth organizer and now lead organizer for a nonprofit on the SW side, my work is guided by my community. I have been politicized by hearing from my neighbors and family. My drive comes from fighting for not only my community, but for the liberation for all.
Why do we need to build an independent political party? We need to build an independent political party, because we need to be guided and grounded by our community. Political control of our communities should be bottom up, not top down.
What is your vision for United Working Families and how do you see your role in achieving that vision? I am energized by the way UWF has taken on issue based campaigns that are guided by the needs of our BIPOC community. I am energized by the way UWF IPOs throughout the city have been centering community members and issues they see as a priority. With my experiences as a community organizer, volunteering for political campaigns, and proud native southsider, I hope to continue to expand this by seeing more folks that look like my parents involved and energized by UWF. I hope to see more folks energized by campaigns and slates run by UWF. I envision myself helping bring folks in, making sure they are always centered, and pushing us to be more bold and radical in our thinking.
What might be the biggest obstacle(s) to achieving that vision and what must be done to overcome them? The biggest obstacle currently is living in this pandemic, which makes interacting and having deep canvassing conversations with neighbors difficult. It is difficult, because the perfect storm has severely impacted our communities, with families barely holding on. It is difficult, because Chicagoans are looking to see immediate relief. On the other hand, longer term solutions that we have been pushing, ie rich paying their fair fair, defund the police, healthcare for all, etc have been more tangible than ever.
Overall, we have to understand that not everyone has been politicized the same way we have. We are coming into this work at different intersections. And once we recognize that, we have to understand we cannot all talk to folks the same way because we are all in different starting points. We need patience, we need to be inclusive, and we need lots of love.
What political and activist work have you done, including work to build United Working Families? I have volunteered and served as ward leads* (not all listed) for the following campaigns.
Jesus Chuy Garcia- For Congress*
Aaron Ortiz- Illinois State Representative *
Theresa Mah- Illinois State Representative
Celina Villanueva- Illinois State Representative & State Senate
Alma Anaya- Cook County Commissioner
Rafael Yanez- 15th Ward Aldermanic Race*
Community/ Issue Based Campaigns I've helped engage community members in:
Supporting students during teacher strike
#FreeTheFunds- Campaign demanding TIF surplus be redirected to schools
#FairTax Campaign
Rights To Recovery
#NoCopAcademy
#TrustAct (State Level legislation)
Welcoming City Ordinance- Amendments
#EraseTheDatabase (both city and county fight)
#PoliceFreeSchools & #CopsOutCPS
Reimagine Chicago
Reopening the Mental Health Clinics
ICIRR campaigns
Organizational affiliations (unions, community groups, etc): Brighton Park Neighborhood Council- Lead Organizer, Grassroots Illinois Action- Board member
Betsy Jovan Watkins (she/hers)
Tell us about you: I’m a homeowner and a public employee. I’ve been a member of the upper middle class in the past and a member of the work poor now. I am the picture of intersectionality and the importance of not just representation but equity. I’ve run for office and lost but learned some valuable lessons along the way. I’m a member of UWF and a CCCTU Local 1600 Union member. I care about my community and I want to inspire others to care just as much.
Why do we need to build an independent political party? We are in an age where the two main political parties are not catering to the needs of the poor and working class. There needs to be another independent political party that speaks for and is made up of the people. Without proper representation, I cannot imagine how our needs will ever be fulfilled by existing establishment parties.
What is your vision for United Working Families and how do you see your role in achieving that vision? My vision for UWF is to become the major political party for the poor, the working class, and other marginalized communities throughout the nation. I see my role as someone that works behind the scenes to ensure the political candidates who seek our endorsement or run on our platform are properly vetted and held accountable to the promises made to our constituents.
What might be the biggest obstacle(s) to achieving that vision and what must be done to overcome them? The largest obstacle to this vision would be the illusion that there are no other major political party options outside the Democrats and Republicans. The work that needs to be done is the unification of Black and Brown communities, the working class, the disenfranchised, and other marginalized groups to such a degree that we clearly see that we are the majority and have the right to demand better from our elected officials.
What political and activist work have you done, including work to build United Working Families? I sat on the board of a LGBQT organization based on the south side of Chicago. I worked on a political campaign. I ran for Alderman in the 23rd ward. I’ve been apart of phone banking with UWF in efforts to get rent relief for so many desperately in need of it.
Organizational affiliations (unions, community groups, etc): CCCTU Local 1600 and UWF
jesus martinez (he/him/el)
Tell us about you:
I am a third generation working class Mexícano in the United States. However, both my grandfather and my dad are immigrants from Mexíco. My grandpa was a Bracero and my dad took refuge in Chicago at the age of 15. I grew up in the well known Latinx immigrant neighborhoods of Chicago - La Villita and Pilsen. When I lived in those neighborhoods there was an abundance of gang violence and disinvestment - the former is one of the results of the latter. We were economically forced to move out of Pilsen because our house on 16th and Halsted was condemned as unsafe and we did no have the financial means to fix it. We moved out of Little Village because their was a escalation of violence between rival gang members that resulted the in fire of our family vehicle and our front steps.
At the age of twelve, my dad needed help with his construction business. I fulfilled my responsibility as a son by working with him until the summer of 2019. Since we worked in construction we traveled throughout Chicago-land. I was able to witness and compare the material differences between neighborhoods in Chicago and suburbs. The difference between material quality I witness as a result of travelling throughout the city led me to pursue an intellectual inquiry to discover the causes of material disparities Chicago. This search led me to the understanding that the material disparities between neighborhoods in Chicago is the manifestation of the economic-political injustices committed by the growth coalition (politicians, real state, and finance) in which political decisions are guided by capital interest.
I am currently a coordinator of the census program in Brighton Park Neighborhood Council. But I have the intention of being a catalyst and comrade in the perpetual class warfare that stems from the prioritization and glorification of capital over people.
Why do we need to build an independent political party? We need a political party that shatters the popular political theater both the Democrats and Republicans indulge and thrive in. This public affairs strategy is used to hide the fact that both parties are the parties of the corporate and business class. At a local level, we have be under the political hegemony of one party - Democrats - and the collection of their consensus has resulted in a city that is being redeveloped through public and private partnership that suits the comfortable living for those who can afford it. The process of this redevelopment is done through a process of economic warfare. For example, Little Village Plaza has a new private owner who plans on developing the plaza to attract retail stores. Discount Mall is in Little Village Plaza. It is one of the economic pillars that makes La Villita an immigrant enclave. If Discount Mall ceases to exist it will be an economic blow to the immigrant community and gentrification will sweep through Little Village.
What is your vision for United Working Families and how do you see your role in achieving that vision? I envisioned UWF as a major political player in Illinois that sets the political agenda. In addition, for UWF to become the vanguard party of a major city within the U.S. empire — Chicago. In that position we can plan the development of the city and the state towards an environmental, economic, and socially sustainable manner. This will require the organization to be structured in a fashion that allows cultivates UWF affiliates across the city and in cities across the state. An ability to form and maintain a broad coalition that catapults the coalition into the new political hegemony. This will be a major organizing project that will require constant reflection and self actualization. Lastly, it will require political education for everyone in the organization so we can profoundly understand our purpose, campaigns, strategy, and the context in which we exist.
To achieve the vision above I see myself recruiting, facilitating, strategizing.
What might be the biggest obstacle(s) to achieving that vision and what must be done to overcome them? The biggest obstacles are the following: Mainstream media, private capital interest in politics, economic conditions that can dissuade community and political involvement. Mainstream television media’s monopoly has been compromised by the internet. However, within the Spanish speaking community channels like Univision and Telemundo dominate as informative channels in Latinx Spanish speaking households. The Spanish speaking community will benefit from different media sources that provide a different perspective. Secondly, private capital interest in politics — elections — can be overcome by long term and cultivation of a base in a ward/district. Lastly, high cost of living and different social capital limits where one works and how one can focus their time. For this reason, it is important to try to understand a member’s economic conditions, what they want to do, and how we can help them do that.
What political and activist work have you done, including work to build United Working Families? I have coordinated paid canvasses for Kim Foxx. I have canvassed and phone banked for Nidia, Lakesia, and Rafa. I was an elections day precinct captain for Rafa’s 2019 campaign.
Organizational affiliations (unions, community groups, etc): Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and a Mijente member.
amika tendaji (us/we/any)
Tell us about you: Amika Tendaji is a mother, native southside Chicagoan, daughter of a west sider, longtime youth and community organizer. Amika is a co-founder of Ujimaa Medics (UMedics) a collective focused on health justice and self-determination for Black people. UMedics teaches gun shot wound & asthma bystander first response all over Chicago. Amika is the Executive Director of Black Lives Matter Chicago (BLMChicago) working to support families & get justice for those who’ve lost a loved one to terrorism by the police. Amika recently worked for Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP) as the mental health movement organizer working to get public, fully funded, mental health clinics open to all. Amika is also a mother of dragons, poet, nature lover, photographer, logical puzzle aficionado, artful dodger, survival enthusiast, orca lover, storyteller, base builder, amateur comedian and a flamethrower extraordinaire.
Why do we need to build an independent political party? I think we have start with a far left Block in the Democratic Party, while there are some ideas that excite me about a left version of the tea party, I think the left has a harder time gaining momentous brand recognition so I think a slow & steady block within the Dems that then breaks off is the way to go nationally, also the way we’re currently running local electeds in smaller local campaigns.
What is your vision for United Working Families and how do you see your role in achieving that vision? To unite & push the left more left, & develop a people’s platform for used on platforming & narrative shift in addition to policy victories. I’m not sure exactly how I fit yet but I want to be a part of it & figure out my exact role.
What might be the biggest obstacle(s) to achieving that vision and what must be done to overcome them? This fascism is gonna be tough to get around & the left's laziness around broader mobilization instead of preaching to the choir & our general laziness around leadership development.
What political and activist work have you done, including work to build United Working Families? I have organized against sweatshop labor, & torture, for public mental health clinics, against school closings & youth criminalization, against criminalization of Black people & to abolish the police.
Organizational affiliations (unions, community groups, etc): BLMChi, UMedics, & STOP
reyna “rey” Wences (they/them)
Tell us about you: I was born in Mexico City and arrived to the U.S. with my family in 2000. At the age of nine Chicago became my home. I've been living in La Villita (Little Village) for 20 years and graduated from Chicago Public Schools. I attended the University of Illinois in Chicago where I focused on Gender and Latin American studies. I come from a class working family with lineage of comerciantes ambulantes (street vendors) trying to make it through the day to put bread on the table. I was undocumented for 17 years, the experience shaped and continues to shape my contributions to the movement against deportations and detention. In 2009, after graduating high school, I became disillusioned and angry by lack of support and visibility of undocumented people and decided to join the movement. I've been organizing in Chicago for over ten years against ICE and also have had the privilege of supporting other organizations in places like Arizona, Georgia and Louisiana. Currently, I'm supporting Organized Communities Against Deportations in the capacity of digital organizer and continue to strategize with others to hold ICE, law enforcement and elected officials accountable to immigrant undocumented communities. Throughout the day I can be found drinking ridiculous amounts of coffee. I also believe any time is a great time to eat pan dulce (sweet bread) and weekends are for catching up on podcasts, documentaries or favorite readings.
Why do we need to build an independent political party? I believe people like me are not represented by the current two-party system. Over the last 10 years, I have seen how the two current parties continue to play games and compromise the well-being and future of the people I care about. Currently, the political parties in power do not represent my values nor my vision for the world I wish to build with people in my community. We need to build an independent political party because we need to destabilize the norm that tells us the present political parties is all we have. In this case, I also believe we need to build an independent party that reflects the lived experiences of working class people (and not the 1%). This moment also calls for political clarity that cannot be guaranteed by the current system.
What is your vision for United Working Families and how do you see your role in achieving that vision? My vision for United Working Families is for the organization to continue recruiting and investing in Women, Black, Brown and Queer leadership. I would also like for UWF to keep on building the momentum from the last municipal election by supporting campaigns of candidates that come from movements for racial, social, and economic justice. I think the organization should continue growing membership in the Latinx community and other underrepresented groups. I see myself supporting the grassroots organizations that will create the conditions for radical political change that will push elected officials and conversations to focus on our communities. I believe the candidates UWF endorses should be as left as the movements on the ground.
What might be the biggest obstacle(s) to achieving that vision and what must be done to overcome them? One of the obstacles I see in achieving that vision lies on strengthening the process of accountability with elected officials and making sure UWF members can ultimately hold them accountable when their actions do not reflect the organization's values. To overcome this, the organization can take appropriate guidance from membership and groups on the ground to strengthen this process. Another obstacle I see is apathy and lack of participation in growing the membership and leadership of groups that have been ignored for too long. To overcome this, UWF must continue to invest in leaders that can energize community members to become part of UWF's vision. Ultimately this means that the organizations leadership and systems should reflect the membership, this means developing culturally relevant messages and actions for people to feel included.
What political and activist work have you done, including work to build United Working Families? I began organizing in Chicago when I was 18. In 2009, I joined other undocumented youth in co-founding the Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL), undocumented youth-led organization, and organized to pass legislation at the federal and local level in support of undocumented students. I started organizing along other fierce queer undocumented leaders because I began to understand that my self-determination was tied to those around me and influenced by those in power. In 2010, I was part of the first "Coming Out of the Shadows" march and campaign, a call to action for other undocumented young people to organize across the country. By 2013, IYJL became Organized Communities Against deportations (OCAD) and I continued supporting anti-deportation work in the city and suburbs. Through OCAD, I was also part of the #Not1More network and had the privilege of traveling to Phoenix, Atlanta and New Orleans to support with organizing and direct action trainings. I've also supported organizations in other roles, such as when I served on the board of Latino Union from 2015-2016 and now in my current role as board member of Just Futures Law.
In 2018, I became the first staff at OCAD and have played a role in anti-deportation campaigns, the campaign to decommissioned the Cook County Gang Database and Erase Chicago's Gang Database. I have also been part of the movement to remove the carveouts from the Welcoming City Ordinance and shine light on ongoing Police-ICE collaboration in the city. I'm a member of Mijente and United Working Families where I support the communications committee.
Organizational affiliations (unions, community groups, etc): Organized Communities Against Deportations; Mijente ; United Working Families
