Windy City Times: 48th Ward Candidate Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth on Why Running, Biggest Differences from Other Challengers

Great write up in Windy City Times about Leni! Some excerpts from the interview:

Windy City Times: What were the reasons/catalysts for your decision to run for this specific office?

I am running to make progress in city council on the issues that are most important to us by getting people involved. I want to bring what I am doing on the grassroots level to a formal setting at the city council, to make change at a policy level.

The ward is a very engaged, dense, walkable and diverse place to live, with a high number of Asian American and LGBTQ+ residents. There are also a lot of small businesses and…we have so many pockets of unique villages. I love the unique characteristics of the ward, and I am running to preserve that and make sure that everyone is represented. I bring that perspective as a small business owner, chamber of commerce member, grassroots advocate and a mom whose children go to public schools here.

WCT: In what way are you the best candidate for this office out of your many challengers?

Many of the candidates in this race have passionate ideas but that is not enough. You need deep roots in the ward like me, who has an investment in what happens and has been doing the work. This ward is surrounded by progressive alderpeople in other wards. I have worked with all of them on many local, state and federal issues, and I am ready to do this job which is to be a good steward of this land and the people who live on it, and to fight for equity for all.

Read the full interview here.