Dick Simpson (politician)

Dick Simpson is a professor, author, and filmmaker[1] who formerly served as a Chicago alderman from 1971 through 1979.

Dick Simpson
Chicago Alderman from the 44th Ward
In office
1971–1979
Preceded byWilliam Singer
Succeeded byBruce Young
Personal details
Born1940
Houston, Texas
Alma materUniversity of Texas at Austin
ProfessionProfessor, author, filmmaker

Simpson is considered to be a progressive.[2]

Early life

Simpson was born in 1940 in Houston, Texas.[3] He as an only child.[3] His first name is Dick, rather than Dick being a nickname for Richard, as it commonly is.[3] Simpson's family lived in a middle class household.[3]

Participating in the civil rights movement, Simpson took part in a 1960 stand-in.[4]

Simpson graduated from University of Texas in 1963.[3] He spent some time in Africa completing research for his doctoral dissertation.[3] While living in Africa, he wrote to his adviser specifically requesting for him to find him a job in a large city with racial conflict, as Simpson desired to be part of the progressive political transformation of a city.[3]

Early career

Simpson began teaching as a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1967.[5][3]

During the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries, he first became Eugene McCarthy's campaign manager for Illinois's 9th congressional district, then was promoted to his statewide Illinois campaign manager, a role he held up through the 1968 Democratic National Convention.[3][6] Simpson participated in protests held during the convention.[4]

In 1969, Simpson managed the successful 44th Ward aldermanic campaign of William Singer, an independent liberal.[7]

Simpson was a cofounder of the Independent Precinct Organization.[3][8][5]

Aldermanic career

Simpson served two terms as a Chicago alderman for the 44th Ward, from 1971 through 1979.[9][10][11] He was first elected in 1971 in an open race, as 44th Ward incumbent William Singer was redistricted into the 43rd Ward. He had defeated the city's Democratic machine to win election to his seat.[6]

As an alderman, Simpson was a political independent.[12] He was among a handful of liberal alderman on the Chicago City Council.[6] He was an advocate of political reform.[13] He was supported by the lakefront liberals.[14]

During his time on the City Council, Simpson was a critic of Richard J. Daley.[12] The two first butted heads early into Simpson's tenure as an alderman, when, on July 27, 1971, he questioned Daley's proposed appointment of Thomas Keane Jr, son of Daley's City Council floor leader, alderman Thomas E. Keane, to the city's Zoning Board of Appeals.[8] He questioned the conflict of appointing Keane Jr., vice-president of Arthur Rubloff & Co., one of the city's largest real estate firms.[8] There were other instances where heated arguments erputed between Simpson and Daley.[15][3]

Simpson established a Ward Assembly for the 44th Ward.[16][8] This was a form of direct democracy within the ward, which was dismantled after the Democratic machine later regained control of the 44th Ward seat.[8] It provided a citizen mandate on how he would cast votes in the City Council.[3]

Simpson was reelected alderman in 1975.[3]

One of the pieces of legislation Simpson managed to pass as an alderman was an ordinance which would prevent banks and insurance companies that do business with the city from practicing redlining.[3]

In 1978, Milton Rakove, a professor of political science at University of Illinois at Chicago, characterized Simpson's approach to being an alderman as, " an academic idealist at loose in the arena of politics, who cannot and will not make the compromises a true politician must make."[17]

Simpson opted against seeking reelection in 1979.[16][18] He endorsed Bruce Young to succeed him, who won election (but resigned soon after citing "personal reasons").[11][16]

Post-aldermanic career

Simpson has continued to teach as a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, currently serving as head of the political science department.[5][9] He has been a Great Cities Scholar and a Humanities Institute Fellow at UIC.[5]

Simpson has also become a respected political analyst.[19] He was, for three years, a monthly op-ed columnist for the Chicago Journal, and was subsequently a monthly columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.[5]

In 1979, Simpson served as an advisor on the mayoral transition team of Jane Byrne.[5] He also served on the mayoral transition team of Harold Washington in 1983.[5]

Simpson was involved in a number of political campaigns in the 1980s, such as the campaign of Ron Sable for Simpson's former 44th Ward aldermanic seat.[3]

Simpson endorsed Timothy C. Evans in the 1989 Chicago mayoral special election.[10]

Simpson was involved in Woody Bowman's campaign for Illinois Comptroller in 1990.[3][20] Simpson also worked on both the unsuccessful 1990 Cook County State's Attorney campaign of Ray Smith and the successful 1990 campaign of Jack O'Malley for the same office.[3] Simpson subsequently served on David Orr's transition team for Cook County Clerk as well as Jack O'Malley's transition team for Cook County State's Attorney in 1990.[5]

Simpson was twice an unsuccessful candidate for United States congress.[2] He ran against Dan Rostenkowski in the Democratic primary for the redrawn 5th congressional district in 1992.[6] He won approximately 43% of the vote against Rostenkowski.[21] Rostenkowski, chairman of United States House Committee on Ways and Means, was considered among the nation's most powerful congressmen.[6] Simpson ran on a platform of congressional reform, including support for term limits.[3] He also pledged to recreate a version of his 44th Ward Assembly in the congressional district.[3] He again challenged Rostenkowski for the Democratic nomination in 1994. At the time, Rostenkowski was under grand jury investigation, and was also being challenged for the nomination by John Cullerton.[22] In 1994, Simpson criticized Rostenkowski as corrupt and criticized him for votes such as his vote in support of extending the Hyde Amendment.[22][23] He placed third behind Rostenkowski and Cullerton.[21] His campaign platform in his bids focused on congressional reform, women's right, universal health care, economic recovery, and senior citizens issues.[5]

For the 2000 Illinois Democratic Party presidential primary, Simpson was a alternate delegate candidate for Bill Bradley's campaign.[5]

Simpson served on Lisa Madigan's transition team for Illinois Attorney General in 2003.[5]

In the 2004 United States presidential election, Simpson served first as a member of the Issues Committee of Carol Moseley Braun's campaign, and subsequently as a surrogate for the John Kerry campaign.[5]

Simpson has participated in annual studies conducted by University of Illinois at Chicago to measure how independent alderman are voting from the mayor.[24]

After Langdon Neale retired from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, Simpson applied in December 2015 to fill the seat.[13][25] His candidacy for the position was endorsed by Danny K. Davis, Mike Quigley, Joe Moore, and David Orr.[10] He was one of seven finalists for the position.[10] Judge Timothy C. Evans, who was in charge of appointing Neale's replacement, ultimately chose to instead appoint Jonathan T. Swain.[26]

Simpson was considered the earliest significant figure to support the campaign Lori Lightfoot in the 2019 Chicago mayoral election.[27] He formally did so on August 21, 2018.[28] Simpson helped then-candidate Lightfoot to write a plan which included putting an end to the practice of aldermanic prerogative and banning outside employment of aldermen.[27] For a long while, Simpson was considered the most prominent individual to have endorsed Lightfoot, still being considered such as late as mid-January 2019 (just over one month a week before Lightfoot would place first the first round of the election).[29] Lightfoot would go on to be successfully elected mayor.[27] After Lightfoot became mayor, Simpson worked to advise her on ethics reform.[12]

Electoral history

Aldermanic
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Congress
1992 Illinois's 5th congressional district Democratic primary[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dan Rostenkowski (redistricted incumbent) 56,059 57.19
Democratic Dick Simpson 41,956 42.80
Total votes 98,015 100
1994 Illinois's 5th congressional district Democratic primary[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dan Rostenkowski (incumbent) 46,683 50.06
Democratic John Cullerton 28,306 30.35
Democratic Dick Simpson 12,819 13.74
Democratic Michael A. Wojik 3,888 4.16
Democratic John F. McCarthy 1,550 1.66
Total votes 93,246 100

Bibliography

Books authored
Books by Dick Simpson
TitleYear publishedOther authorsPublisherCite
Winning Elections: A Handbook in Participatory Politics 1972 N/A Swallow Press [32][33]
Strategies for Change: How to Make the American political Dream Work 1975 George Beam Swallow Press [34]
Political Action: Key To Understanding Politics 1984 George Beam Swallow Press [35]
The Politics of Compassion and Transformation 1988 N/A Swallow Press [36]
Chicago's Future in a Time of Change 1993 N/A Stipes Publishing Co. [37]
Rogues, Rebels, And Rubber Stamps: The Politics of the Chicago City Council from 1863 to the present 2001 N/A Westview Press [38]
Inside Urban Politics: Voices from America's Cities and Suburbs 2003 N/A Pearson/Longman [39]
The Struggle for Power and Influence in Cities and States 2011 James Dunlap Nowlan, Betty O'Shaughnessy Longman [40]
Local Politics and Mayoral Elections in 21st Century America: The Keys to City Hall 2014 Sean D. Foreman, Marcia L. Godwin, Melissa Marschall, Carlos E. Cuéllar, Joseph P. Caiazzo, Melissa Mourtistsen, Betty O'Shaughnessy, William J. Miller, Robert J. Mahu, Lyke Thompson, Fernando J. Guerra, Brianne Gilbert, Larry D. Terry II, Steven P. Erie, Vladimir Kogan, Nazita Lajevardi, Scott A. Mackenzie, P. Frances Gouzien, David C. Kimball Routledge [41]
Corrupt Illinois: Patronage, Cronyism, and Criminality 2015 Thomas J. Gradel University of Illinois Press [42]
The City, Revisited: Urban Theory from Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York 2011 Dennis R. Judd University of Minnesota Press [43]
Twenty-First Century Chicago 2012 N/A Cognella Academic Publishing [44]
Chicago is Not Broke: Funding the City We Deserve 2016 Thomas Gradel, Jackson Potter, Jamie Kalven, Ron Baiman, Hilary Denk, Amara Enyia, Jonathan Peck Tom Tresser and CityLab [45]
Winning Elections in the 21st Century 2016 Betty O’Shaughnessy University Press of Kansas [46]
Teaching Civic Engagement Across the Disciplines 2017 N/A American Political Science Association [47]

Scholarly articles

Simpson has published in excess of 100 journal articles.[18]

References
  1. "Is the Machine Dead? The Future of Chicago Politics". www.nprillinois.org. NRP Illinois. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  2. Caine, Paul (11 January 2018). "Dick Simpson on His Life as a Chicago Progressive". WTTW News. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  3. Ervin, Michael (5 September 1991). "The Simpson Strategy". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  4. "Dick Simpson • Golden Alley Press". Golden Alley Press. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  5. "Dick Simpson biography". Chicago Sun-Times. January 1, 2001. Archived from the original on September 28, 2009.
  6. Galvan, Manuel (February 1992). "Dick Simpson takes on Rostenkowski in new 5th Congressional District" (25). Illinois Issues. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  7. O'Donovan, Caroline (2 October 2012). "Why has Chicago had so many Democratic mayors?". WBEZ Chicago. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  8. Rossi, Marco Rosaire (23 January 2020). "Chicago's experiment in radical democracy". New Frame. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  9. "Dick Simpson | HuffPost". www.huffpost.com. HuffPost. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  10. Brown, Mark (12 December 2015). "Brown: Are you still an outsider when insiders back you for Election Board?". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  11. "Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office". Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  12. Spielman, Fran (20 May 2019). "Former Richard J. Daley critic defends Lightfoot for keeping aldermen 'reasonably frightened'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  13. Joravsky, Ben (11 December 2015). "Rahm's nightmare: Dick Simpson is applying for Chicago's election board". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  14. McClell, Edward (22 November 2019). "How Lakefront Liberals Became Milwaukee Avenue Progressives". Chicago magazine. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  15. Bogira, Steve (23 January 2012). "Oh, to have those fighting independents back". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  16. Anastaplo, George (Winter 1981). "Neighborhood Government in Chicago's 44th Ward". DePaul Law Review. 30 (2): 549. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  17. Rakove, Milton (February 1978). "Bill Singer". Illinois Issues (19). Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  18. "Simpson, Dick W. | Political Science | University of Illinois at Chicago". pols.uic.edu. University of Illinois Chicago. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  19. "Blagojevich praises, endorses Trump as justice reformer". Star Tribune. Associated Press. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  20. Karwath, Rob (24 March 1989). "REP. BOWMAN SAYS HE'LL RUN FOR STATE COMPTROLLER". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  21. Walsh, Edward (16 March 1994). "ROSTENKOWSKI TRIUMPHS EASILY". Washington Post. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  22. Gratteau, Hanke (11 March 1994). "TRUTH GETTING LOST IN PRIMARY BATTLE AS CULLERTON, FOES SPIN THEIR YARNS". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  23. Hardy, Chrystal Caruthers and Thomas (7 July 1993). "ABORTION-RIGHTS GROUPS, SIMPSON SINGLE OUT ROSTENKOWSKI'S VOTE". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  24. Blumberg, Nick (31 May 2016). "UIC Study: City Council Becoming Less of a 'Rubber Stamp'". WTTW News. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  25. "Former Alderman Dick Simpson Applying for Board of Elections Commissioner". NBC Chicago. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  26. "Chief Judge Evans announces new election commissioner" (in Ukrainian). Circuit Court of Cook County. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  27. McClell, Edward (27 June 2019). "What the 2020 Dems Can Learn From Chicago". Chicago magazine. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  28. Spielman, Fran (21 August 2018). "With Dick Simpson at her side, Lightfoot proposes ethics reforms". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  29. Black, Curtis (17 January 2019). "Is Lori Lightfoot really the progressive candidate?". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  30. "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, MARCH 17, 1992" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  31. "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, MARCH 15, 1994". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  32. Simpson, Dick W. (1981). Winning Elections: A Handbook in Participatory Politics. Swallow Press. ISBN 978-0-8040-0365-0. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  33. "Winning Elections: A Handbook in Participatory Politics. Signed by Dick W. Simpson by Dick W. Simpson on Kurt Gippert Bookseller". Kurt Gippert Bookseller. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  34. Simpson, Dick; Beam, George (1975). Strategies for Change: How to Make the American political Dream Work (1st ed.). Swallow Press. ISBN 0804006962.
  35. Simpson, Dick; Beam, George (1 February 1984). Political Action: Key To Understanding Politics. Swallow Press. ISBN 978-0804008358.
  36. Simpson, Dick (1 August 1988). The Politics of Compassion and Transformation And Transformation. Swallow Press. ISBN 978-0804009034.
  37. Simpson, Dick (1993). Chicago's Future in a Time of Change (1993 ed.). Stipes Pub. Co. ISBN 0875634419.
  38. Simpson, Dick (2001). Rogues, Rebels, And Rubber Stamps: The Politics of the Chicago City Council from 1863 to the present. Westview Press. ISBN 978-0813397634.
  39. Simpson, Dick (13 December 2003). Inside Urban Politics: Voices from America's Cities and Suburbs (1st ed.). Pearson/Longman. ISBN 978-0321095671.
  40. Simpson, Dick; Nowlan, James Dunlap; O'Shaughnessy, Betty (2011). The Struggle for Power and Influence in Cities and States. Longman. ISBN 978-0-321-10518-9. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  41. Local Politics and Mayoral Elections in 21st Century America: The Keys to City Hall. ISBN 9781317578932.
  42. Gradel, Thomas J.; Simpson, Dick (2015). Corrupt Illinois: Patronage, Cronyism, and Criminality. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-07855-2. JSTOR 10.5406/j.ctt13x1m17.
  43. Simpson, Dick; Judd, Dennis R. (2011). The City, Revisited: Urban Theory from Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York (NED - Newition ed.). University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-6575-4. JSTOR 10.5749/j.cttts735.
  44. Simpson, Dick (1 July 2012). Twenty-First Century Chicago. Cognella Academic Publishing. ISBN 978-1609277673.
  45. Simpson, Dick; Gradel, Thomas; Potter, Jackson; Kalven, Jamie; Baiman, Ron; Denk, Hilary; Enyia, Amara; Peck, Jonathan (2016). Chicago is Not Broke: Funding the City We Deserve. Tom Tresser and CivicLab. ISBN 978-1-365-10977-5. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  46. Simpson, Dick; O’Shaughnessy, Betty (2016). Winning Elections in the 21st Century. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-2276-4. JSTOR j.ctt1bpm9p3.
  47. Simpson, Dick (1 September 2017). Teaching Civic Engagement Across the Disciplines. American Political Science Association. ISBN 978-1878147561.
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