1st Ward

Ald. Daniel La Spata, Proco Joe Moreno and Stephen "Andy" Schneider will speak and take questions from voters.

Community leader Andy Schneider and attorney Sam Royko are making their first bids for public office while Moreno is trying to win back the City Council seat he held for nine years.

Elections officials ruled Moreno's criminal history did not disqualify him from seeking office again, but he barely stayed in the race after more than 1,000 of his petition signatures were thrown out.

Moreno, who is running to unseat Ald. Daniel La Spata, said he's "humbled" and "grateful" for the Lakeview alderman's support.

Two neighbors of candidate Sam Royko are challenging Moreno's bid for office in part because of his criminal history, while a longtime backer of the former alderperson also is trying to get Royko tossed from the race.

The former alderman said the 2017 suicide of a close friend led to his alcohol abuse and subsequent legal problems. Now, he's asking residents to send him back to City Council.

Attorney Sam Royko, Logan Square Preservation president Andy Schneider and former Ald. Proco Joe Moreno are all running to unseat incumbent Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st), who was elected in 2019.

The highest-paid alderpeople will make $142,772 next year, thanks to a nearly 10 percent raise. The lowest-paid alderperson makes $115,560, by comparison.

Schneider, a neighborhood leader who's had a hand in many Logan Square projects in recent years, said he has a "proven track record of leadership and ability to build consensus within the community."

The controversial figure lost a 2019 re-election bid amid a series of scandals, but he said he has more work to do in the 1st Ward.

Royko has pushed for public safety improvements since his girlfriend was carjacked in 2021. He said he'll also focus on improving constituent services and communication in the 1st Ward.