Joe Berrios and Alonso Zaragoza have a few things in common. Both are graduates of Lane Tech High School, and they each received degrees in accounting from the University of Illinois. Both also live in the Belmont-Cragin area, and until March 20, they’ll be vying for the 31st Ward committeeman’s post.
The similarities pretty much end there, though, according to Zaragoza.
Zaragoza, a social and political activist, and a reference librarian by day, fancies himself a reformer who’s running to improve the accessibility of local government--and to chip away at Berrios’ power in the ward.
Berrios, on the other hand, has been in politics for much of his life. His power in the 31st Ward as committeeman is only one weapon in the arsenal of influence he wields throughout the city, county and the state--as Cook County Assessor, as a Springfield lobbyist and as head of the Cook County Democrats.
Needless to say, Zaragoza is the underdog in this David vs. Goliath fight: He has less money, fewer connections, he’s not an established candidate, and he’s going up against a five-time incumbent in Berrios.
But Zaragoza's in the race to revamp the committeeman post. In doing so, he wants to reach out to communities throughout the ward that he feels are currently being ignored by local government.
The 31st Ward is about 76 percent Latino, but there are pockets of Asian and Eastern European communities that are off the radar of the ward's pols, he insists.
That is, the committeeman, the ward organization and the alderman all need to do a better job communicating with these groups--year-round, not just at election time.
Zaragoza speaks English and Spanish when he’s out going door-to-door, but he also has a Polish-speaking volunteer who is canvassing homes north of West Diversey Parkway, where there is a concentration of Polish residents.
He also envisions his ward organization creating a website that is entirely available in English, Spanish, Polish and a number of Pan Asian languages.
"If you're bilingual and you want information on the ward, you're not going to find it on [31st Ward Alderman Ray Suarez's] website," Zaragoza said.
Currently, there isn't a website for the 31st Ward committeeman. And Suarez is a political ally of Berrios'.
By reaching out to everybody, Zaragoza also hopes to bump voter participation. Low turnout has been a chronic issue in the 31st Ward. No more than 47 percent have turned out for any election that Berrios has run in as committeeman, since he first won the post in 1992.
"The trend, in Chicago and nationwide, has been that turnout has been low," Berrios said. "We work day in and day out to get people to vote."
"It's pathetic," Zaragoza countered, in reference to the turnout.
Zaragoza attributes this to failure on the part of Berrios and his supporters to engage constituents in the political process, and it's something that he wants to change.
The committeeman post carries with it very few formal responsibilities. The main job function is to basically be chief ward organizer for the Democratic Party.
Zaragoza said that, if elected, his organization will not create slates or support candidates without first gathering input from the community.
"Right now, we only get names on Election Day on palm cards," Zaragoza said. That is, on Election Day, Berrios' supporters show up at or near the polls with cards that contain a list of names of politicians that voters are encouraged to vote for.
"We don't know anything about [candidates]," Zaragoza said.
Berrios disputed that and said that mailers and literature are sent out frequently.
A committeeman and his or her ward organization, in Zaragoza's mind, is an outfit that needs to be working all year, not just during elections, to educate and engage the ward's voters.
"Apparently Alonzo doesn't know where the offices are. We're there 24/7, five days a week," Berrios said.
When discussing the race, Zaragoza talks excitedly about redefining the role of committeeman, but he's also forthcoming about his own political aspirations.
"Committeeman is a stepping stone for other offices," he said.
Furthermore, he was less than secretive about his desire to oust Berrios and his supporters, among them 31st Ward Alderman Ray Suarez, whom he called a "nice guy," but said he didn't agree with politically.
"If you take out Berrios, then you weaken Suarez," he said.
He also mentioned that he wouldn't mind having Suarez's job one day--just not at the same time he is committeeman, as he doesn't believe in holding two offices at once.
Zaragoza’s got his work cut out for him, though, if he hopes to stand a chance against Berrios.
The ward boss has $93,082 in his campaign coffers, which mostly comprise donations more than $1,000 from clout-heavy lawyers located outside the ward.
Berrios also chairs the 31st Ward Democratic Organization., which transferred $5,100 into his campaign committee last month.
Berrios and Suarez are also longtime allies, which carries a lot of weight in the 31st Ward. Suarez, too, helped out the cause, last year, by tossing his old friend $3,788.
On file with the Illinois State Board of Elections, Zaragoza had $320, as of Dec. 31. He said he recently raised about $850 at a fundraiser, and that he saved $10,000 of his own money to run the campaign.
"My donations are always going to be $10 to $25, each" he said. "We're fully funded ... I just hope I don't have to pay for everything."
© Community Renewal Society 2012
