United Working Families adds the endorsement of two more movement candidates, who are ready to build for the many and take on the Rahm, Rauner, and Trump agenda, to our 2018 Candidate Slate. United Working Families is pleased to announce additions to their slate of candidates for the 2018 March primaries, including:
Alma Anaya, Cook County Commissioner, 7th District
Alma Anaya grew up undocumented in a working-class Latino household on the Southeast Side of Chicago. Alma worked as Commissioner “Chuy” Garcia's staff for six and a half years, rising to the position of Director of Administration at the young age of 28. She is now running for Cook County Commissioner of the 7th District. She is a leader in Pilsen where she was a member of the local elementary school’s Local School Council and has volunteered countless hours to Mujeres Latinas en Accion, an organization that services survivors of domestic violence – an issue that Alma has experienced and feels passionately must be addressed.
UWF believes Alma is the best choice to fight for working families in Cook County. She will lead the push to strengthen and improve the County Health and Hospital system, making it accessible and affordable to all. As an immigrant, Alma is passionate about protecting immigrant rights, and she will be a strong advocate to keep ICE out of Cook County. She is a people’s candidate and embodies the desire to have representation that is rooted in and accountable to our communities.
Aaron Ortiz, State Representative, 1st District
Aaron Ortiz, at 26, is running for State Representative in the 1st District. He is running against the heart of the Chicago machine to represent the state's largest Latinx district. Aaron has been a counselor for hundreds of CPS high school students in Back of the Yards and Gage Park. He's seen the struggle families go through to try to put together enough resources for their children to get into college, which led him to volunteer with United Working Families on an aldermanic campaign and mayoral bid in Gage Park and Back of the Yards in 2015.
Now he's ready to take the fight to Springfield for families of the 1st District. Aaron will be a voice for youth looking to continue their college education by advocating for free college for all, a progressive income tax to properly fund our schools, a $15 minimum wage in our state, and universal healthcare.
We are proud to support these progressive candidates who have a deep roots in communities on the Southwest side. Like our the rest of our 2018 Candidate Slate, these are two first-time candidates of color with the communities ties to fight for the many, not the few.
