Pawar has served the ward since 2011.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Incumbent Alderman Ameya Pawar won re-election in the 47th Ward of Chicago by a landslide on Tuesday.
Pawar, who has served the ward since 2011, defeated challenger Rory Fiedler by garnering 82.9 percent of the votes cast. When he was initially elected, Ald. Pawar barely managed to gather the 50 percent share of votes needed to avoid a run-off.
Pawar’s victory comes due largely to his platform of commitment to neighborhood schools.
DNAinfo Chicago reports Pawar, 34, called the voters’ astounding levels of support “a mandate for K-12,” which references his GROW47 program that would coordinate local support for students from kindergarten through high school.
Next on Pawar’s to-do list is pushing through city-wide legislation that would offer Chicago residents paid sick leave.
“The legislative piece is important,” he told DNAinfo, adding that city-wide issues often have a direct impact on the ward.
Other city-wide legislation sponsored by Pawar has pertained to urban agriculture, human rights ordinance — prohibiting employers from discriminating against job applicants’ credit histories or employment gaps — and anti-wage theft ordinance.
Pawar is a Democrat and the first Asian American in Chicago Council history. Prior to representing the 47th Ward, he was on staff at Northwestern in the Office of Emergency Management, where he was responsible for developing a university-wide business continuity program.
He currently serves on several committees within the Chicago City Council: public safety; economic, capital, and technology development; zoning, landmarks, and building standards; special events, cultural affairs, and recreation; and rules and ethics.