Delia Ramirez

Delia Ramirez is a Chicago politician who is currently a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 4th district. The 4th district includes the Chicago neighborhoods of East Humboldt Park, Hermosa, Bucktown, West Town, Ukrainian Village, East Village, and Logan Square.[2][3] Ramirez first won election to the House in 2018, and is running uncontested in 2020. She is the first Guatemalan American elected to the Illinois General Assembly.[2]

Delia Ramirez
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from the 4th district
Assumed office
January 9, 2019 (2019-January-09)
Preceded byCynthia Soto
Personal details
Born (1983-06-02) June 2, 1983[1][2]
Humboldt Park, Chicago, Illinois
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceHumboldt Park, Chicago, Illinois
Alma materNortheastern Illinois University (B.A.)

Early life, education, and career

Ramirez was born to Guatemalan immigrant parents in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago.[4] She graduated from Sabin Magnet Elementary School and earned a bachelor of arts in justice studies from Northeastern Illinois University.[2][4][5][6]

Prior to entering elected office, Ramirez worked in and held leadership roles in a number of social service agencies, non-profit advocacy organizations, and local community organizations. Notably, she was president of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association from 2005 to 2007, executive director of the homelessness-focused non-profit Center for Changing Lives from 2004 to 2013, and president of the Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA) from 2016 to 2019.[7][8]

In the 2018 Illinois House of Representatives election, she ran for the open 4th district seat to succeed incumbent Cynthia Soto.[2][9] She identified stable housing & stable schools, Reliable and responsible government, and Public safety and justice reform as her primary issues of concern.[7] She was part of a slate of Latino candidates backed by then-Cook County Commissioner and congressional candidate Chuy García.[10] She was also endorsed by a number of local elected officials, labor unions, and progressive organizations including U.S. Representative Luis Gutiérrez, aldermen Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and Roberto Maldonado, Chicago Teachers Union, Illinois AFL–CIO, SEIU Healthcare and Local 73, United Working Families, and Our Revolution Illinois.[4] Ramirez won a four-way Democratic primary election on March 20 with 48% of the vote, and ran uncontested in the general election on November 6, 2018.[5]

Illinois House of Representatives (2019–present)

Ramirez was sworn into office on January 9, 2019.[2][9] She is a member of the Illinois House of Representatives Progressive Caucus.[11]

Tenure

In October 2019, Ramirez was part of a group of Democratic state legislators who opposed Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot's proposed plan for the use of a new real estate transfer tax, arguing that a portion of the funds from the new tax should be explicitly set aside to address homelessness and affordable housing.[12][13] In early 2020, Ramirez headed a task force in the state legislature focused on the condition of children of incarcerated individuals.[13]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ramirez sponsored legislation that would have created a temporary moratorium on rent and mortgage payments and strengthed eviction moratoriums, but the bill was defeated after strong opposition from realtors.[14][15][16] However, she was able to pressure lawmakers to increase the size of a relief fund for tenants and landlords in the 2021 budget bill passed during the pandemic by 90%.[14] She also led a successful effort to include a provision that would provide Medicaid benefits to undocumented seniors in the budget bill.[17] Ramirez had been pushing for such a provision since 2019, and its successful adoption made Illinois the first state to provide Medicaid regardless of immigration status.[18][17]

Committee memberships

In the 2019-20 term, Ramirez is a member of the following committees:[19]

  • Adoption & Child Welfare Committee
  • Appropriations - Human Services Committee
  • Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter School
  • Judiciary - Criminal Committee
  • Juvenile Justice and System Involved Youth Subcommittee
  • Mental Health Committee
  • Sex Offenses and Sex Offender Registration Subcommittee

Electoral history
Illinois 4th State House District Democratic Primary, 2018[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Delia Ramirez 7,120 47.99
Democratic Iris J. Millan 3,076 20.73
Democratic Alyx S. Pattison 2,346 15.81
Democratic Anne Shaw 2,294 15.46
Total votes 14,836 100.0
Illinois 4th State House District General Election, 2018[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Delia Ramirez 31,797 99.98
Write-in votes Justin Tucker 6 0.02
Total votes 31,803 100.0
Illinois 4th State House District Democratic Primary, 2020[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Delia Ramirez 16,136 100.0
Total votes 16,136 100.0

References
  1. Kapos, Shia; Carrasco, Maria (2020-06-02). "TRUMP's APPROACH — DID CPD DEFEND FAIRLY? — AURORA POLICE CHIEF JOINS PROTESTS". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  2. Serrato, Jacqueline (May 10, 2018). "Housing is a top issue for the first Guatemalan-American in the Illinois legislature". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  3. "PA 97-0006 Legislative District 2" (PDF). May 18, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  4. "Delia Ramirez for State Representative". Delia Ramirez. Archived from the original on 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  5. "Delia Ramirez". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  6. "Delia Ramirez". Illinois House Democratic Caucus. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  7. CST Editorial Board (2018-10-28). "Democratic nominee for Illinois House in the 4th District: Delia C. Ramirez". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  8. "State Representative Delia Ramirez". Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  9. Spielman, Fran (March 21, 2018). "Brother's defeat puts a political bullseye on the back of Ald. Ed Burke". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  10. Marans, Daniel (2018-04-02). "How Chicago's Leading Latino Progressive Bested The Democratic Party Machine". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  11. "House Progressive Caucus unveils agenda". Capitol Fax. February 14, 2019. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  12. "Lawmakers introduce new real estate transfer tax proposal". The Real Deal Chicago. 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  13. McKinney, Maureen Foertsch. "What Can Illinois' Jails And Prisons Do To Improve The Lives Of The Children Of The Incarcerated?". www.nprillinois.org. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  14. "Ban on Evictions to Remain in Place After Bill to Waive Rent, Mortgage Payments Fails". WTTW News. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  15. "Emergency housing relief proposed in Illinois to stave off mass evictions, foreclosures". Chicago Reporter. 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  16. "Videos". FOX 32 Chicago. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  17. Heather, Kade. "Illinois to become 1st state to provide Medicaid regardless of immigration status". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  18. Forde, Noelle (2020-05-28). "Illinois could become first state to provide Medicaid to noncitizens". WICS. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  19. "Illinois General Assembly - Representative Committees - Representative Delia C. Ramirez (D), 4th District". ilga.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  20. "Election Results 2018 GENERAL PRIMARY". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  21. "Election Results 2018 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  22. "Election Results 2020 GENERAL PRIMARY" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
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