Meet Daniel

When I first ran for alderman in 2019, I wasn’t a career politician. I was a community organizer who believed government should work for the people who live here–not the people with the most money or the most influence.

Today, that belief still guides every decision I make.

My wife Alicia and I are now raising our two daughters in the 1st Ward. Like so many families, we’re thinking every day about whether our neighborhood will remain affordable, whether our children can safely walk or bike to a well-resourced school, whether the city and planet will be as resilient and sustainable as they deserve, and whether Chicago will continue to be a city where working people can build a future. These aren’t abstract ideas, I feel them every day.

Before serving on the City Council, I spent more than a decade organizing alongside our neighbors to tackle some of Chicago’s biggest challenges from health care access to the influence of dark money in elections. As Vice President of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (now Palenque LSNA), I helped secure affordable housing, fought to protect renters’ rights, and advocated for more inclusive zoning policies. Rather than waiting for someone else to solve problems, I built coalitions and got to work.

That organizing background came in handy when I became alderman.

Since taking office, I have passed landmark legislation to build more affordable housing, expand investments in violence prevention, improve public transit and mobility, and make government more inclusive.

Throughout it all, I’ve proven that progressive policies and effective governance go hand in hand. I believe government can be both ambitious and practical–that it’s possible to fight for big ideas while delivering real, tangible improvements people can feel every day.

For me, politics is personal. It’s about making it easier to afford a home, safer for everyone to get home at the end of the day, and possible for every neighbor to not just squeak by, but thrive.