Crusader Staff Report
Kevin M. Bailey on Thursday, July 26 officially launched his run for alderman of the 20th Ward with over 300 supporters. Bailey seeks to replace incumbent Alderman Willie Cochran who announced in November 2017 that he is not seeking re-election after 10 years in office.
Bailey made the announcement official in Woodlawn.
According to his website, Bailey was raised on Chicago’s South Side and south suburbs. Bailey ran as 20th Ward Alderman in 2015, where he lost to Cochran in a runoff election, taking 45 percent of the vote.
On March 15, 2016, Kevin M. Bailey received more than 8,000 votes and was elected 20th ward Democratic Committeeman.
Bailey earned his Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He served as the first Black civil engineer for former President Barack Obama’s high-speed rail project, ensuring safe construction and proper allocation of federal funds.
Bailey currently resides in the Washington Park neighborhood in Chicago.
Bailey has focused on issues related to economic and community development, public safety, education, and health and human services. He has supported, hosted or sponsored events including, but not limited to: Lupus Awareness, economic development forums and PTSD Awareness for Veterans featuring Lamann Rucker from the show Greenleaf on OWN; increasing voter registration and participation; campaigning and supporting democratic candidates locally and nationally. Kevin supports democrats retaking Governorships, the U.S. House and Senate.
According to his website, Bailey supported Congressman Danny Davis with door-to-door volunteering, phone banking and committee engagement. He continues to work on Congressman Davis’ Economic Development Committee chaired by Cherita Logan. Most recently, they collaborated to resist Trump’s Tax plan.
In addition, Bailey said he collaborated with the late Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele on health care coordination and advocacy, school policy and parental engagement. Bailey also said he partnered with former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin on violence prevention, community listening tours for constituent guidance, root cause analysis on issues such as crime, unemployment and recidivism.
