NEWS STATEMENT: For Immediate Release
Contact: K. Lewis spokesperson Stephanie Gadlin, 312-890-0866, sgadlin@abundantpr.com
The ‘office of mayor is nobody’s inheritance’, says Lewis.
CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2019—Today Chicago Teachers Union President Emerita Karen GJ Lewis endorsed Toni Preckwinkle for mayor of Chicago. Lewis, who retired from union leadership last year, launched her own campaign for mayor in 2015 after the Cook County Board president decided not to get in the race. It ended suddenly when she was diagnosed with brain cancer.
“Toni is the right choice for mayor,” Lewis said. “She has a proven track record of supporting the issues that matter to the people in this city who have been shut out of opportunity and crippled by unjust policies. She is a fighter who loves this city and the people in it. As a former alderman and now president of the county board, she understands the fiscal challenges we face.
“I have little confidence that the other candidates will fight for educators and the students and parents we serve. As a former teacher, Toni’s leadership speaks for itself and I know she will fight for the schools our children deserve. Not only that, she is the only one with a plan.
“People should pay close attention to the folks who are now dumping money into this race. Ken Griffin, a Bruce Rauner crony and ally of Rahm Emanuel, was one of the austerity architects who advocated taking resources from public schools and turning them over to unaccountable, privately-managed charter operations like the scandal-plagued UNO. This billionaire’s double donation to Bill Daley is all the proof you need to understand that he wants things to continue as they are with the wealthy on top and the rest of us stuck at the bottom. The office of mayor is nobody’s inheritance.
“Toni is a leader and someone who will stand up for all people in this city. After finally getting rid of Rahm, why would voters want to return control of our public resources to the exact same people who attempted to push working-class families and Black and Brown people out of the city?”
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Karen Lewis is not available for interviews.
