Daniel La Spata, 1st Ward: the record

Ald. Daniel La Spata's votes, legislation, attendance, committees and campaign money in his second term, as he runs for a third in the Feb. 23 election.

By Chicago PoliticsUpdated Oct 22, 2026

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st Ward), his official City Council photoCity of Chicago

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st Ward) filed for a third term on Oct. 19, and two challengers, Laura Yepez and Bill Thanoukos, filed the same day (who's running). This is his record in the term that ends May 17, 2027, from the City Clerk's roll calls and legislation, the Illinois State Board of Elections and the City's Board of Ethics, as our 1st Ward page compiles them.

In short: he filed more legislation than most of his colleagues, made every roll call, and voted with the Council majority a little less often than the typical member.

How long has he been in office, and what does he chair?

La Spata took office in May 2019 after unseating Ald. Proco Joe Moreno, Patch reported. He won his second term in 2023 with 50.1% of the vote, 14 votes above the line for a runoff, according to Fox 32.

Since May 24, 2023, he has chaired the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety and been vice chair of Contracting Oversight and Equity, according to the Clerk's committee records. He also sits on eight more committees, among them Finance, Budget and Government Operations, Housing and Real Estate and Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards.

How does he vote?

Most Council votes are lopsided. On the 92 divided roll calls this term in our records, La Spata voted with the majority 85.9% of the time; the Council median is 87.4%. He cast 11 nay votes on key legislation, against a median of 12.

He voted yes on two of the closest budget votes: the 2025 revenue ordinance, which passed 27-23 on Dec. 16, 2024, and the $830 million general obligation bond issue for streets and infrastructure, which passed 26-23 on Feb. 26, 2025.

How each ward voted

24 yea, 23 nay, 1 not voting · Feb 26, 2025 · Passed

Yea Nay Not voting

SO2025-0014841: the roll call, the timeline and the documents

A year later he was on the losing side of the budget. He voted no on the 2026 revenue ordinance, which passed 29-19 on Dec. 19, 2025, and on the $1.8 billion 2026-2027 borrowing ordinance, which passed 39-11.

How each ward voted

29 yea, 19 nay, 2 not voting · Dec 19, 2025 · Passed

Yea Nay Not voting

SO2025-0021719: the roll call, the timeline and the documents

He also voted no on the mass-gathering curfew (passed 27-22, June 18, 2025), the ShotSpotter ward-choice order (passed 34-14, May 22, 2024) and the change to the tipped wage schedule (passed 30-18, March 18, 2026).

What did he pass, and what stalled?

La Spata filed 132 pieces of legislation as lead sponsor this term, not counting routine items like permits, against a Council median of 58; 94 passed. Among the ones that passed:

The Civil Immigration Enforcement Disclosure ordinance, which requires disclosure about companies working on immigration enforcement, 50-0 on Sept. 23, 2026.
An online database of minority- and women-owned business hiring on covered development projects, 50-0 on May 20, 2026.
A call for the City to write an Americans with Disabilities Act transition plan, passed June 17, 2026, with one member absent.
The Milwaukee Avenue Special Character Overlay District, between Western and Ridgeway avenues, 50-0 on July 17, 2024.
Taller buildings near transit in some B-3 and C-3 districts when a project follows the Affordable Requirements Ordinance, passed Oct. 16, 2025.

Two of his ordinances failed on the floor. His 25 mph default speed limit lost 21-28 on Feb. 19, 2025.

How each ward voted

20 yea, 27 nay, 1 not voting · Feb 19, 2025 · Failed to Pass

Yea Nay Not voting

SO2024-0010990: the roll call, the timeline and the documents

A pilot letting residents submit video of parking violations lost 16-31 on Feb. 18, 2026. Others haven't come to a vote: his Utility Billing Relief ordinance has been held in committee since July 2023.

Does he show up?

Yes. Our records show him present for all 1,224 key roll calls this term, with no absences; the Council median is 100%.

Who funds his campaigns?

His committee, Neighbors for Daniel La Spata, reported $260,801 in itemized contributions ($150 or more) this term, below the Council median of $358,915, and $136,709 on hand on Sept. 30, according to State Board of Elections reports.

Since 2019 it has raised $698,400. By category, $432,559 came from individuals, $212,600 from transfers from other political committees, $32,841 in in-kind contributions and $18,500 in loans. The largest organizational givers since 2019 are the SEIU Illinois Council PAC Fund ($32,962), the SEIU HealthCare Illinois Indiana PAC ($21,500), the Chicago Teachers Union ($16,000), the Cook County College Teachers Union ($14,750) and the Chicago Bike PAC ($13,500). La Spata himself put in $25,800.

Registered City lobbyists reported $58,080 in contributions to him, in 134 gifts, to the Board of Ethics; the Council median is $49,779. Lobbyists also reported 16 gifts or hosted events, most of them Illinois Environmental Council dinners. We report these figures next to his votes; they are not evidence that any contribution affected a vote.

Who lobbied on his legislation?

The Board of Ethics filings name the department lobbied, such as "City Council," not the individual alderperson, so we can't say whom a lobbyist met. Lobbyists did file on legislation La Spata co-sponsored: 36 filings on the Hazel Johnson Cumulative Impacts ordinance and 33 on the Clean and Affordable Buildings ordinance, both still in committee, and eight on his 1st Ward late-hour liquor license limit, which passed in 2024.

The good

More legislation than most. 132 lead-sponsored items this term, more than twice the median of 58, and 94 passed (1st Ward page).
Perfect attendance. No absences on 1,224 key roll calls.
Citywide ordinances, passed unanimously. The immigration enforcement disclosure and minority- and women-owned business database ordinances each passed 50-0.
A transit-zoning record. The Milwaukee Avenue overlay passed 50-0, and his ordinance letting parking structures near transit skip minimum parking ratios passed 50-0 on July 16, 2025.

The bad

His two speed and parking ordinances failed. The 25 mph speed limit lost 21-28, and the resident video enforcement pilot lost 16-31.
Hearings he called in his own committee haven't happened. His calls for hearings on pretextual police traffic stops (filed Sept. 2023), the 25 mph default limit (March 2024), bus infrastructure (May 2024) and sidewalk repairs (March 2025) are all still referred to Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, the committee he chairs, according to the Clerk's record.
A relief program stuck since 2023. The Utility Billing Relief ordinance has been held in the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy since July 19, 2023.

His full record, every vote and filing, is on his 1st Ward page. He faces Yepez and Thanoukos on Feb. 23; see who's running.