“This Campaign Is Literally Making Socialists”
Ugo Okere is a 22-year-old Nigerian immigrant and democratic socialist running for Chicago City Council. In an interview, he describes his history as an activist, the smears he's faced from the incumbent, and why democratic socialism “is about democratic control of every single facet of our life.”
Ugo Okere, a candidate for Fortieth Ward alderman in Chicago. Hanako Maki
Ugo Okere is a Nigerian immigrant and democratic socialist running for Chicago City Council in the city’s Fortieth Ward, located on the far north side. One of five candidates in the race, Okere is vying to unseat Alderman Patrick O’Connor, who has been in office since 1983.
O’Connor’s legacy on the city council is one marked by racism. In his first term, O’Connor joined a group of twenty-nine nearly all white aldermen who organized in opposition Harold Washington, Chicago’s first black mayor. More recently, O’Connor has painted Okere as an outsider in the community, referencing a flyer for a campaign fundraiser Okere attended that was hosted by Nigerian immigrants.
At twenty-two years old, Okere is one of the youngest aldermanic candidates in the city. He is running on a platform of fully funded public schools, affordable housing, lifting the statewide ban on rent control, and establishing a Civilian Police Accountability Council. He has been endorsed by the Chicago chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
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