She Runs Illinois 2020! — Eva Dina Delgado, candidate for IL House of Representatives, District 3
She Votes Illinois is pleased to feature Eva Dina Delgado, incumbent, running for Illinois House of Representatives, District 3. Follow our series, She Runs Illinois 2020!, leading up to election day as we showcase and uplift the voices of Illinois women running for public office in the upcoming election.
Tell us about yourself
After earning my Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College, I attended the University of DePaul College of Law and received my Juris Doctor and became a licensed attorney. I worked hard to become a leader in my field. I have a career that spans more than 20 years in both public and private sector leadership. For over a decade, I worked for the city of Chicago and the Chicago Transit Authority, serving as the Director of Governmental and Public Affairs. I was also Director of Community Outreach and worked closely with many communities and advocated for their needs locally and in the state capitol. This led to my experience passing legislation, including legislation to limit property tax increases and create protections against home foreclosures. My experience on a State and local level is exactly what this district needs right now.
My family has been on the Northwest Side of Chicago for generations and I have been an active community member in the 3rd District for over 11 years. My community and volunteer work includes Lawyers Lend-a-Hand to Youth (an organization that supports one-on-one mentorship for youth) and sitting on the Saint Anthony Hospital board, a hospital that serves majority Latinx and African American communities.
I am the proud daughter of immigrants. My parents sacrificed to provide a good life for me. I want to be the type of role model to my daughter that my mother was to me. As a woman of color, I have fought to be heard, and will continue to advocate on behalf of our community. I know firsthand the issues that face every working family in Illinois. I am ready to get to work fighting for the families of the 3rd district and the state of Illinois everyday.
Tell us about the women in your life
When you’re young, you have your heroes. Growing up, I had mine: a woman that worked hard to raise me and make me who I am today. My mother was that heroine. She taught me what it meant to be strong, hardworking, and an independent woman. My mother was an immigrant, who in high school worked as a waitress to help her own mother raise and support her three siblings. She was a first-generation college student, who worked her way through college waiting tables, and became a teacher because she wanted to make a difference in her community.
I witnessed my mother dedicate herself to her community, working tirelessly to help struggling students and youth-at-risk, many of them from impoverished neighborhoods, succeed in school. She spent much of her after-school time assisting their parents and other families in need to access social services and helping them in any way possible.
And that, is the best lesson that my mother has taught me: to pay it forward by being of service to others. She is the inspiration behind my run for public office, to serve as state representative.
What led you into politics? Why are you running for THIS office?
As a working mom raising a family in Chicago, I understand the burdens and obstacles that working families face in their search for a better life. As a resident of Logan Square, I have seen how our community has dealt with gentrification and the lack of affordable housing. As State Representative, I am committed to finding solutions to make our beloved city affordable and education accessible to all. I will fight to help our long-term families stay in our community. I will advocate for safe neighborhoods, a clean environment, quality educations, affordable housing, improvements in infrastructure and public transportation, and greater economic opportunity.
Recognizing that COVID-19 has hit state and local budgets hard, where would you reduce/eliminate spending to ensure pressing needs are answered?
Obviously, the economic downturn caused by this pandemic has necessitated many difficult budget decisions. My responsibility is to maintain essential services like health care, education, and resources for families facing layoffs and furloughs. The federal government must step up and help all states meet these essential needs.
What do you believe the greatest challenges are to creating a more racially just legal and political system?
Representation is important to bringing more equity to systems that have been in place for centuries. Bringing down barriers to participation for people who represent different races, ethnicities, genders or gender-identities will diversify the perspectives within those systems.
What are the most overlooked issues from a policy perspective impacting women in your district?
The childcare sector has been hit especially hard due to the pandemic, but is an important part of our economy and is invaluable to families throughout Illinois. I have worked with the governor to direct $270 million to help provide relief to child care providers and ensure they are able to stay open and can serve families that need them the most.
What do you wish you had known before you decided to run for office?
Running for office was a very intense learning experience. I was lucky that I had so many friends and family members that were willing to jump in and help every weekend. Campaigns are very people-intense — you need to have committed volunteers who will be available when you need them. I never fully understood how important that was until I was in the thick of the campaign.
Closing comments
I have spent my career over the past 15 years working and fighting for the people of Chicago. I have worked with elected officials to pass laws that make our city safer. I have worked with neighborhood organizations across Chicago to make sure they receive the city services they deserve. And I have fought to make sure our businesses listen to the communities they impact.
I have seen how our community has been affected by gentrification and the lack of affordable housing. I am committed to finding solutions to make our city affordable and I will fight to help our long-term families stay in our community.
I will fight to ensure our families have safe parks and neighborhoods, well-funded schools, and strong infrastructure. Our neighborhoods deserve to have greater economic opportunity to start a business and raise a family.
If you would like to learn more about Eva Dina Delgado and her platform or volunteer for her campaign, please check out her website at delgadoforstaterep.com. Don’t forget to follow her on Facebook at @EvaDina4Rep. Reach out today and help make a difference in the upcoming 2020 election.
(The information contained in this post is provided only as general information and does not imply an endorsement by She Votes Illinois.)
