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Politics
Chicago

Zoning appeals czar Knudsen gets Lightfoot’s nod for council slot

Set to replace former Ald. Michele Smith

From left: Lori Lightfoot and Timmy Knudsen (Getty Images, Chicago's 43rd Ward/Timmy Knudsen)
From left: Lori Lightfoot and Timmy Knudsen (Getty Images, Chicago's 43rd Ward/Timmy Knudsen)

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is getting started refilling a backlog of empty City Council seats with a familiar face who’s wielded power over real estate.

As the wave of council departures continues to grow, Lightfoot tapped Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman Timmy Knudsen for appointment as 43rd Ward alderman, Crain’s reported.

Lightfoot picked Knudsen to fill the vacancy left by former Ald. Michele Smith, who left the seat in mid-August. The district covers Lincoln Park and part of the Gold Coast.

“Timmy Knudsen has singled himself out as an exceptional leader in the 43rd ward community. His passion for connecting with his neighbors and encouraging hope, energy and opportunity for Chicago residents makes him uniquely situated to serve as alderman,” Lightfoot said in a statement.

Knudsen is the mayor’s third appointment to the City Council this year and Smith is one of 15 council members to leave their posts or announce that they would not run for reelection in recent months.

In a statement thanking Lightfoot for the appointment, Knudsen said he brings “a passion for private sector results to public service.”

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He is a partner at politically influential law firm Croke Fairchild Morgan & Beres and donated to Lightfoot’s 2019 campaign for mayor as well as to Smith’s challenger that same year.

As Zoning Board of Appeals chair, a position he will depart, Knudsen oversaw a body that decides on hyperlocal zoning disputes as well as the issuance of special-use permits to marijuana dispensaries.

Lightfoot’s nomination of Knudsen will go before the city council rules committee today and, if approved, will be voted on by the full council Wednesday.

Assuming confirmation, Knudsen will serve the rest of Smith’s term, which ends in May, and become the incumbent in a crowded race to be elected to a full term. He’s already raised campaign cash toward a bid to retain the seat, including contributions from the co-owner of the North Side bar Sidetrack and a cousin of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.

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– Rachel Herzog

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Chicago City CouncilLori LightfootPolitics