Pat Dowell, Alderman and Committeeman of Chicago’s Third Ward, announced her candidacy for Illinois Secretary of State this week. “As a committed public servant, helping and serving people has always been my top priority,” said Dowell. “My singular goal of this office is to provide the residents of Illinois with the best customer services possible and not to use the office as a personal steppingstone to advance my career.”
“I have always been a public servant. I have deep governmental experience plus nonprofit experience. It has always been about service. I am running for Secretary of State to be the Secretary of State and serve the people of Illinois.”
“The Secretary of State provides vital services to the people of Illinois. Jesse White has given a lifetime of service to our community and state; I look forward to building on the foundation of quality service and programs created by Secretary White. Every day, I serve the residents of the ward, providing much-needed services efficiently and effectively. I will continue this commitment to the people as Secretary of State,” added Dowell. “As Secretary of State, I will focus on customer service, cutting edge technology, libraries, literacy, and business services.”
With extensive experience in community development and civic engagement, Pat Dowell was elected Alderman of the Third Ward of Chicago in 2007. She is the Chair of the Chicago City Council Budget Committee. She has remained committed to building every part of her community block by block, making sure that all the constituents of the 3rd Ward have access to quality school options, safe neighborhoods, and thriving businesses.
Dowell was a significant catalyst for the rebirth of the historic Bronzeville community that occurred in the 1990s. She has an extensive background in urban planning and community development and was one of the primary architects of the Bronzeville Development Plan – which won a Burnham Award for excellence in planning. She is a former City Planner and Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood Planning under former Mayors Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer, and Richard Daley.
Formerly, Ms. Dowell was the executive director of the Near West Side Community Development Corporation, where she built affordable housing and commercial retail space and provided social services and employment and financial counseling services to residents of Henry Horner Homes. In the mid-1990s, she was the founding executive director of the Mid-South Planning and Development Commission, and as a result of her leadership, millions of dollars in development funding were allocated to the ward to preserve several historic Bronzeville landmarks. Finally, she was executive director of Chicago Public Allies, a national youth development organization.
Pat Dowell is the proud mother of an adult son and a longtime Bronzeville resident. As a college basketball star, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Developmental Psychology from The University of Rochester and her master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Dowell owns a scrappy Yorkshire Terrier named Toots and is an avid Chicago Bulls Fan. While she enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling – what she is truly passionate about is helping to serve the needs of her constituents.
“If you talk to people about my work in the ward and in City Council, you know that I deliver for my constituents. That is what I will do as your next Secretary of State. I will work hard for you, and I will make serving you my priority.”
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