Grass- roots organizing is what delivered Ramirez’s win

It’s fair to say that in politics, nobody sees the whole elephant. As a resident of Illinois State House District 4, it was interesting to see Rich Miller’s outsider take on my district’s four- way primary in the column “Illinois’ oddest couple— Chuy and Mike— won big in Tuesday’s elections,” which framed the race in terms of larger power structures in Illinois— namely, endorsements from Chuy Garcia and Our Revolution and an agreement not to oppose Mike Madigan.

However, from the perspective of someone who volunteered with the Delia Ramirez campaign for state representative from its humble beginnings on the front porch of a Logan Square home, it’s clear that this is a misleading narrative about how the race played out. It’s worth noting that Madigan felt threatened enough by Delia’s candidacy to have his lawyer try to kick her off the ballot. And while it’s true that endorsements from Our Revolution and Chuy Garcia were helpful, neither were significant campaign funders — SEIU, CTU, and 30 house parties were the major funding streams. Most important of all, Delia’s history of serving our community, her ability to listen to and connect with residents, and her example of relentless positivity and intense work ethic inspired a grass- roots base of support numbering over 300 volunteers. This enabled a seven- days- per- week field operation that knocked on tens of thousands of doors, something that no endorsements or campaign funds or political alliances can buy. Rob Reid, Grassroots Illinois Action member, Chicago