Patrick Gilsenan
for 32nd Ward
Patrick is running for Alderperson in Chicago’s 32nd Ward because our community needs leadership dedicated to progressive values: strong schools, safe streets, vibrant small businesses, and affordable homes.
We need our Alderperson to be present and visible. That means giving the community a seat at the table, standing up to ICE in our neighborhoods, and building in coalition to get things done.
Meet Patrick
Patrick is a progressive lawyer, policy professional, and community advocate who has dedicated his career to public service, good government, and economic opportunity.
He has worked for financial regulators, major financial institutions, immigration family law firms, and global law firms, while also volunteering his time for housing and immigration work.
Patrick understands the challenges working people face, and the challenges of getting ahead in this modern economy. A proud graduate of Loyola University Chicago for both his undergraduate and law degrees, Patrick is the son of parents who overcame financial hardship during the Great Recession to help their children become first-generation college graduates. His experience inspired a career focused on accountability, fairness, and strengthening the systems that impact everyday people.
After witnessing and experiencing the struggles of the recession first hand, Patrick was inspired to study the financial markets that led to the recession in the first place, majoring in Economics and History before going off to his first job out of college investigating financial institutions for fraud and compliance failures.
In Chicago, Patrick has been a leader on housing, homelessness, and civic engagement. He has volunteered with the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness for nearly a decade, supported mutual aid efforts for migrant and unhoused neighbors, conducted policy research on election reform, and advocated for more housing and stronger communities through local neighborhood organizations.
A History of Advocacy
Patrick has been a leader in Chicago through his organizing, advocacy, and work with housing reform and homelessness in Chicago. Among other things, Patrick has:
Volunteered and fundraised with the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness since 2018, supporting structural change to ensure nobody is without shelter.
Participated in pro bono legal work for various housing, immigration, and probate matters; and has organized fundraisers for mutual aid groups such as District 19 Mutual Aid which supports migrant families and unhoused neighbors.
Done policy research work for a Chicago City Council Committee, including specifically publicly financed elections and ranked choice voting.
Regularly attended community meetings, including development meetings to advocate for more housing around zoning decisions, meetings with Lathrop Homes developers and CHA to advocate for public funding and community spaces, and neighborhood organization meetings to support local initiatives.
Actively campaigned for strong progressive leaders and causes such as participatory budgeting at the ward level with local progressive groups like the People’s 32nd.
Priorities
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Remove Barriers to Growth:
We are facing a critical shortage of housing in the 32nd Ward, contributing to rapidly escalating rents and home prices. To keep families, longtime residents, and younger generations in our neighborhoods, we must reverse decades of restrictive housing policies that have limited opportunity, increased costs, and contributed to displacement.
Replace aldermanic prerogative with predictable, transparent planning processes that balance community participation with consistent city-wide standards.
Legalize more housing options, including two-flats, three-flats, courtyard buildings, apartments and coach houses in neighborhoods.
Support more transit oriented development.
Pursue smart upzoning, such as expanding the existing Western Avenue Proactive Zoning project into the 32nd Ward.
Protecting Chicago’s Renters and the Housing Insecure:
As housing costs rise and too many Chicagoans can’t find housing, we must build a housing system that centers housing justice for renters, supports vulnerable residents, and ensures everyone can remain part of the communities they help sustain.
Streamline approvals for projects that include affordable housing, and make affordable housing less expensive to build.
Increase funding for homelessness prevention, expanded supportive housing programs, and improved coordination between housing, healthcare and social service providers.
Take on bad actor landlords and expand legal assistance for tenants facing eviction.
Limit property teardowns and deconversions of naturally affordable multi-unit apartments.
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All people deserve to feel safe, and public safety requires both effective enforcement and greater investments in prevention, addressing the root causes of crime, and increased accountability to build trust between police and the community.
Efficient Use of Resources:
Support and expand alternative responses for mental health and other non-emergencies, including making paramedics and crisis workers available 24/7.
Further invest in violence interruption and prevention programs, including youth employment and mentorship opportunities.
Reduce misconduct settlements through better supervision and discipline for repeat offenders.
Neighborhood Safety
Utilize data and improved collaboration between residents, local businesses, and law enforcement to better deploy officers to where they’re most needed.
Use police district councils, beat meetings, and regular communication with residents to ensure neighborhood concerns like car break-ins, reckless driving, package theft, and other quality-of-life issues are addressed.
Build trust between community members and the police through implementation of the Consent Decree.
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Residents deserve a City Council that is transparent, accountable, and focused on serving the public, not special interests. Restoring trust in City Hall means making decisions openly, strengthening ethical standards, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. As Alderperson, I will champion reforms that increase public participation, improve government accountability, and make local government more responsive, accessible, and worthy of trust.
Protecting Local Democracy:
Allow residents to vote on how local discretionary funds are spent through aparticipatory budgeting process.
Publicly finance Chicago elections so that campaigns are centered around people, not corporations and lobbyists.
Implement Ranked-Choice Voting, creating better election outcomes and saving taxpayers money.
End pay-to-play politics at City Hall, including campaign donations from developers with an interest in local projects.
Improved, Transparent Government:
Improve responsiveness and timeliness to constituent requests, including better tree maintenance, rat control, and graffiti removal.
Reject Corporate PAC money during and after campaigns, and pass reforms to be rid of its influence in local politics.
Publish menu money and other aldermanic spending in an accessible format.
Hold regular ward nights, public meetings, and town halls to expand public participation in major neighborhood planning efforts.
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Transportation connects people to jobs, schools, businesses and one another. We need better infrastructure, more reliable transit options, and safer streets where neighbors can comfortably walk or bike.
Better Transit
Hold the CTA accountable to its safety plan to ensure a comfortable and safe transit experience.
Advocate for more frequent CTA bus and train service, especially along neglected corridors in the ward such as along Elston and Clybourn.
Improve reliability of schedules and communication of delays within the transit system through coordination with NITA and CTA.
Add stop signs and more efficient traffic signals to dangerous and heavily utilized intersections.
Safer Streets
Expand protected bike infrastructure, embracing a “Vision Zero” goal of eliminating death and injury on city streets.
Create a city-wide grid of protected bike lanes and safe streets to reduce car dependency and decrease traffic congestion.
Improve pedestrian safety, especially near schools and parks where families cross streets and spend time.
Prioritize vital street paving and alley maintenance requests to protect property and infrastructure.
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The Chicago Fair Budget
Chicago residents deserve a Fair Budget made up of city services that work and long-term planning rather than gimmicks like selling city debt to third-party debt collectors. At the same time, if we are serious about long-term fiscal health, we cannot solve our revenue problems with privatizing or simply cutting essential services, we need growth and progressive tax reforms. Our city needs:
A commitment to expanding the tax base, long-term financial planning, and progressive revenue solutions rather than short-term budget gimmicks or issuing endless debt to pay for operating costs
A commitment to maintaining the Advanced Pension Payments, first implemented in 2023, to reverse the damage done previously via pension holidays and underfunding.
End the diversion of billions of property tax dollars away from schools, parks and other public services into TIF districts without sufficient oversight.
A commitment to auditing programs regularly for waste, fraud and abuse to ensure tax dollars are used effectively.
Reforms to the Budget Process
City Council does not have the adequate legislative resources or expertise to take an active role in the budget drafting process - a reality that contributed to Chicago’s credit rating being downgraded by two ratings agencies after the alternative budget was passed in December 2025. To avoid the mistakes in the future, we must:
Empower an independent legislative budget office and provide it the resources and subject matter expertise necessary to meet the needs of City Council.
Require a formal Council response to the Mayor’s proposal, to which the Mayor must respond, similar to what New York City does.
Move the budget timeline up to allow for meaningful review. New York City provides their Council almost 5 months to review a budget about double Chicago.
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The 32nd Ward has some of the most dynamic boutique shopping districts, most popular bars and taverns, and celebrated restaurants in the city - but rising costs, vacant storefronts, and private-equity backed consolidation threatens the unique character of our commercial corridors.
Support Local
Reduce licensing backlogs, create permitting timelines, and streamline requirements into a “one-stop-shop.”
Host community conversations to hear what our locally owned business owners need to survive and thrive.
Cut the red tape and assist new entrepreneurs through the permit process so that large companies aren’t advantaged in navigating it.
Vibrant Corridors
Reduce storefront vacancies by attracting more customers into commercial corridors and implement policies to discourage long-term vacancies.
Assist with commercial corridor beautification through facade grants, tree planting, and outdoor dining support.
Work with businesses to facilitate neighborhood events and spread the word about their businesses.
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Strong neighborhoods begin with strong schools and opportunities for young people to succeed. Every child deserves access to a quality education, safe places to learn and play, and the support they need to reach their full potential. Investing in our youth not only benefits today’s students, it strengthens our communities for generations to come.
Strong Public Schools
Advocate for fully funded public education, including TIF-reform efforts so that more tax dollars are invested in our local schools.
Support partnerships between schools and community organizations.
Improve safe routes to schools.
Support Young People
Create youth councils for students to be civically engaged, including allowing for direct participation in planning community events, and weigh in on policy issues most affecting them.
Expand after-school programing and summer job opportunities
Invest in youth recreation and enrichment programs.
Partner with local businesses, unions, and community organizations to expand internships and apprenticeship opportunities for students.
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Building a more sustainable Chicago means making our neighborhoods healthier, safer, and more resilient. From reducing flooding and expanding our tree canopy to improving air and water quality, environmental investments strengthen our communities. As Alderperson, I will support neighborhood-focused solutions that lower costs for residents and leave a cleaner, more resilient city for future generations.
Environmental Justice
Support equitable environmental justice throughout the city.
Review environmental safeguards and regulations for water and energy use.
Prepare neighborhoods for extreme heat and severe weather conditions.
Invest in green jobs, educational training, and youth engagement.
Green Neighborhoods
Upgrade aging water infrastructure and address urban flooding.
Support building electrification and community solar opportunities.
Increase tree planting and urban forestry.
Support local environmental initiatives, including organized community trash collecting events.
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Chicago has always been a city where people from every background can build a life and raise a family. Local government has a responsibility to ensure every resident feels safe, regardless of immigration status, gender identity, or sexuality, is treated with dignity, protected under the law, and able to access the services they need.
Defending Our Communities:
Support immigrant and refugee communities, including better access to city services.
Protect LGBTQ+ families and parents so that they can raise their children with the same dignity and respect as everyone else.
Further enshrine Chicago as an oasis of abortion rights, including shielding women from intimidation and supporting community organizations supporting the work.
Solidarity and Communication:
Use ward communication channels to share verified information during immigration enforcement actions, helping residents access trusted resources while preventing panic and misinformation, something that neighboring alderpersons and state leaders have been doing very efficiently since Operation Midway Blitz.
Coordinate better with federal, state and county leaders to share important updates that impact our community at every level of government, and host more events across different levels of government.
Advocate for Chicago’s interests to leaders in Springfield and elsewhere.
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Important Dates
Election Day
February 23, 2027
Early In-Person Voting
February 1, 2027
Mail-in Voting
January 15, 2027