Brendan Reilly: Fighting for Change, Delivering for People!

Brendan Reilly built his career on challenging entrenched power and delivering results for the people he serves. In 2007, he stunned Chicago politics by defeating a 36-year incumbent and proved that even in Illinois, good ideas, hard work and common sense can beat the machine.

As Alderman of Chicago’s 42nd Ward, home to 90,000 residents, more than 10,000 businesses, and nearly 60 percent of the city’s economic activity, Reilly has been an unwavering advocate for transparency, fiscal accountability, and a government that works for taxpayers, not insiders.

From his first day in office, he stood up to powerful interests, whether that meant challenging mayors, confronting big developers, or defying party bosses. Reilly is known for delivering real results for his constituents, personally attending condominium association meetings to hear directly from residents. He created one of the most transparent zoning and development review processes in Chicago, requiring developers to face his residents directly and securing millions in public benefits for the neighborhoods in the 42nd Ward. 

Through four mayoral administrations, Reilly has remained an independent voice, opposing tax hikes that burden working families, blocking sweetheart deals for political allies, and demanding return-on-investment budgeting instead of wasteful spending so more of taxpayers hard-earned money can be used to better our schools, health care, etc.… Most recently, he led the charge to defeat Mayor Johnson’s $300 million property tax increase proposal in 2024, protecting residents from an unnecessary financial burden.

A lifelong champion of pro-choice legislation, Alderman Reilly has worked to protect reproductive rights throughout his career. In 2009, he co-sponsored and helped pass the “bubble zone” ordinance, a pro-choice measure designed to prevent patients from being harassed as they entered hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities. In 2024, he also co-sponsored and strongly supported the creation of a noise-sensitive zone around Family Planning Associates, a reproductive clinic, to protect patients and providers from disruptive protests.

Reilly has also championed efforts to honor Chicago’s history and civil rights leaders. In 2010, he led the effort to rename the Michigan Avenue Bridge to the DuSable Bridge, honoring Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, the city’s founder. In 2019, he sponsored the ordinance to rename Congress Parkway to Ida B. Wells Drive, commemorating the pioneering civil rights leader and journalist. Reilly is also proud to have worked with the Mother Jones Heritage Project to secure approval for a statue honoring Mother Jones, a fearless labor activist who fought for workers’ rights in Chicago during the 1880s. The statue is slated for installation in 2026.

Before City Hall, Reilly worked in the Illinois House of Representatives, eventually serving as communications director. He later became one of AT&T’s youngest executives, overseeing public affairs across the Midwest and pushing for a more competitive, consumer-friendly telecommunications market.

In addition to his work as alderman, Reilly serves on the board of the Energy Foundry, a nonprofit venture capital fund investing in green technology, and is a voting board member of the Illinois Smart Grid Advisory Council.

His leadership has been recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40,” the Keep Chicago Beautiful Sustainability Vision Award, the Chicago Loop Alliance Illumination Award, and the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association Ambassador Award.

Brendan Reilly earned his bachelor’s degree from Hobart College and has lived in downtown Chicago since 1997. He ran for office to challenge corruption, give residents an authentic voice, and prove that bold, independent leadership can get things done. Since winning office, Brendan Reilly has spent his career taking on the tough fights; turning promises into projects, ideas into action, and challenges into results.