SEIU Local 73 has endorsed Pat Dowell for U.S. Representative in the 1st Congressional District of Illinois. SEIU Local 73 represents more than 5,600 frontline, essential workers in the district.

“We are proud to endorse Pat Dowell for Congress. She is a proven, trusted leader and a lifelong public servant,” said Dian Palmer, President of SEIU Local 73. “As Alderman of the 3rd Ward in Chicago, we have worked closely with Pat to ensure our members, and the communities they serve, receive the dignity and respect they deserve.”

“As a former social worker, I know first-hand the important work SEIU Local 73 does to ensure that people who work for municipalities, social service organizations, and other publicly funded positions are valued and rewarded,” said Dowell.

“In City Council, I’ve focused on economic growth in communities longest denied, and especially on jobs that help build generational wealth. SEIU Local 73 has been a fantastic partner in ensuring good jobs that not only allow people to make ends meet but retire in dignity. I look forward to continuing to partner with them in this work while I’m serving in Congress. We share a vision that by joining together in union, we can create a more just and humane society,” continued Dowell.

Pat Dowell has an extensive background in urban planning, community development, and civic engagement. She was elected as Alderman in 2007 and currently chairs the City Council Budget Committee. As Alderman, Dowell has worked to increase the number and strength of small businesses and develop economic opportunities for all. Prior to being elected to City Council, Dowell served as a social worker, an administrator of several large and small non-profits, and a university instructor. She also served as City Planner and Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood Planning under former Chicago Mayors Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer, and Richard Daley. Ald. Dowell was one of the primary architects of the Restoring Bronzeville Plan, which won the Burnham Award.

When elected to Congress, Dowell will be the first woman to represent IL-01.

SEIU Local 73 represents more than 31,000 workers, primarily in public service and publicly-funded positions in school districts, municipalities, social service agencies, and many other job classifications in Illinois and Indiana. We are dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families.

Original source can be found here.