1st Congressional District Candidate has record as public servant

Third Ward Alderman Pat Dowell is a candidate for the 1st Congressional District. Photo provided by Pat Dowell.
Third Ward Alderman Pat Dowell is a candidate for the 1st Congressional District. Photo provided by Pat Dowell.

 1st Congressional District Candidate has record as public servant

By Tia Carol Jones
Pat Dowell has been the 3rd Ward Alderman for the last 15 years. She also has been a social worker, city planner, executive director of several not-for-profits, as well as worked in historic preservation and community development. Now, she is vying for the 1st Congressional District seat.
Dowell as 3rd Ward Alderman has focused on moving a marginalized set of communities forward. Those communities have suffered disinvestments and move them towards being more thriving communities.

“I have a track record, a body of work, that proves up my commitment to those communities. We have built new, affordable and market rate housing, we have been the catalyst for a number of African American-owned businesses, restaurants, coffee shops, tennis facilities, you name it. We have strengthened the economic structure within those communities,” Dowell said.

Dowell also brought two grocery stores to an area that was once a food desert. New schools and parks have been built. Jobs have been created for people in the community.

Dowell believes she is the only candidate in the race that has real direct results for people. She thinks of herself as an action-oriented, results-driven person, someone who wants to see movement forward from one place to another. That is something Dowell believes is necessary in a place like the 1st District, which has not seen its fair share of federal resources, and has been marginalized in many cases.

“Due to my leadership in the City Council, as chair of the budget committee, I have done important legislation, I’ve passed budgets that required consensus building among different people who share different ideologies,” said Dowell, who added, it’s similar to what people see in Congress, people from different ideologies building consensus.

Dowell acknowledges that she is one of two candidates for the Congressional seat that has legislative experience and knows how to act within that body, get things done and find resources to benefit the people in the 1st Congressional District.

Dowell has experience serving the needs of her constituents. The first thing she wants to do is educate the people in the 1st Congressional District as to what a Congressional office does, how a Congressperson can help them, and what staff is involved in the process.

Dowell believes her ability to pass important legislation and get money into the areas she represents are key things from her work as Alderman that can translate to her work in Congress. She believes her on the ground experience of working with people, understanding and listening to people makes her a viable candidate.

Dowell has experience representing a ward that is diverse and feels she can represent the 1st Congressional District, which is also diverse with its mix of urban, suburban and rural areas. She is comfortable moving in all of those areas and addressing the specific needs of those specific communities.

As an Alderman, Dowell has hosted Town Hall Meetings, attends community, condominium and Block Club meetings. She also communicates with her constituents via email and phone calls. She is accessible, which she believes is necessary for representing the ward. She would continue to do these things as a Congressperson.

“I don’t make decisions without having input from my community, and will continue that practice, when elected,” she said, adding she has filed timely ethics statements, with City, County and Federal governments. “I consider myself an open book. I can be asked anything.”

For more information about Pat Dowell and her campaign, visit www.illinoisfordowell.com.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

STARR Community Services International, Inc.