Former 35th Ward chief of staff and community organizer Jessica Vasquez was appointed to the Cook County Board of Commissioners on Sunday afternoon, filling a vacancy created for the 8th District seat when Anthony Joel Quezada was appointed to the City Council.
Vasquez received 10 out of 13 committee votes during the meeting at Avondale-Logandale Elementary School, securing the appointment to carry out the remaining 18 months of Quezada’s term, though she said she is looking to hold the seat beyond that. Five other candidates also put their names forward at the meeting but fell short.
“I’m deeply humbled and grateful to the Committeepeople and community members who placed their trust in me,” Vasquez said in a statement. “As someone born and raised in this district, I carry with me the hopes and struggles of the 8th District’s working families who deserve compassionate and responsive leadership. I’m committed to delivering results for 8th District families — and I’ll be working every day to earn the support of voters as I seek to become the elected Democratic nominee in March 2026.”
She had announced her intent to seek out the seat two weeks ago.
Vasquez was born in Belmont-Cragin and lives in Logan Square. She previously served as chief of staff to former 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and worked with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights to organize workshops for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which provides temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of childhood migrants. In the past, she campaigned for the elimination of Chicago’s sub-minimum wage for tipped employees.
The county board is now majority women for the first time in its history, and Vasquez is the first woman to represent the 8th District, which covers parts of Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Irving Park, Hermosa, Bucktown, Belmont Gardens, Avondale, Old Irving Park, Kilbourn Park, Belmont Craigin, Belmont Central, Schorsch Village, Montclare, Portage Park, Hanson Park and West Humboldt Park.
Quezada was confirmed in a 32-11 City Council vote last month to fill Ramirez-Rosa’s seat after he was named to run the Chicago Park District in February.
