Joseph Moore

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Joseph Moore

b. July 22, 1958

Chicago, 49th Ward Alderman (1991-)

49th Ward Map

1 Clout and Influence
2 Employment and Political History
3 Education
4 Important Political Events
5 Sources

Clout and Influence

Joe Moore is a classic good government liberal that somehow found his way into the Chicago City Council. His tenure has roughly mirrored that of Mayor Richard M. Daley and for most of that time Moore has been one of Daley's biggest irritants in the Council.

An activist for independent presidential candidate John Anderson while at Galesburg's Knox College, Moore returned to Chicago for law school and became active with independent Democrats in Rogers Park. The leading organization, Network 49, was led by David Orr, who had run a successful race for alderman in 1979 and was leading the North Side independents for then-mayoral candidate Harold Washington. Orr, already an Alderman in 1983, played a leading role in Washington's North Side campaign, and Moore found a slot in slot in Washington's retooled and newly corruption-free city Law Department.

Moore took up leadership of Network 49, leading campaigns against the ward's still strong Regular Democratic Organization and worked to build a broader North Side and Evanston independent Democrat organization with Orr, Jan Schakowsky and Robert Creamer. In 1990, the team (later known as "Team Jan") worked together to elect Orr to Cook County Clerk and elected Schakowsky to State Representative. Orr urged Mayor Richard M. Daley to appoint Moore as his replacement, but Daley chose 49th Ward Democratic regular Bob Clarke instead.

Then, in 1991, Team Jan helped elect Moore alderman, defeating Clarke. Two years after that, Moore reconciled with the Ward's Democratic Committeeman David Fagus. They have been allies ever since.

Since his election Moore has been a stalwart supporter of Team Jan, including Schakowsky's successful 1998 run for Congress and Lawrence Suffredin's successful 2002 run for Cook County Board Commissioner. In 2000 Team Jan supported Moore in what now seems like a quixotic (and losing) campaign for Cook County Clerk of Courts against Dorothy Brown.

As the liberal banner carrier in the City Council, Moore has regularly (and vocally) voted against Mayor Daley. His opposition came to a peak in 2006 when he successfully passed both the Chicago Fois Gras Ban Ordinance and the Big Box Living Wage Ordinance. Although Daley later vetoed the Big Box Ordinance, which was sustained by City Council, the labor-backed Big Box Ordinance became the most politically polarizing vote in City Council during Daley's entire tenure. Moore's sponsorship of the ordinance cemented his reputation as a progressive leader - and as Daley's loudest antagonist.

In an effort to obtain revenge for Daley, Chicago business leaders heavily sponsored Moore's first significant opponent, Don Gordon, in the 2007 election. Gordon was funded by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, while Moore was supported by Schakowsky and the unions. Gordon forced Moore into a runoff, losing to Moore by a narrow margin.

Moore's narrow victory and continued squabbling with Daley makes him seem vulnerable. Gordon seems to agree and has been maintaining a low-level campaign since 2007.

Employment and Political History

Before becoming an alderman Moore worked as an attorney in the City of Chicago’s Department of Law. Moore is also a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Executive Committee.

Current Chicago City Council Committees:

Budget and Government Operations
Committees, Rules and Ethics
Energy, Environmental Protection and Public Utilities
Finance
Health
Historical Landmark Preservation

Education

1976, Evanston Township High School
1980, Knox College, B.A.
1984, DePaul University Law School, J.D.

Important Political Events

1990, Passed over by Mayor Richard M. Daley to fill 49th Ward Alderman David Orr's seat, Robert Clarke selected instead
1991, Elected 49th Ward Alderman, defeating incumbent Bob Clarke in a runoff
1995, Reelected 49th Ward Alderman
1999, Reelected 49th Ward Alderman
2000, Defeated for Clerk of the Circuit Court by Dorothy Brown
2003, Reelected 49th Ward Alderman
2007, Reelected 49th Ward Alderman, defeating Don Gordon in runoff