Longtime political activist John Chester has been working
election campaigns on the city’s North Side for more than 30
years. His first political work was lobbying for what was then
the “gay-rights” bill in Springfield.
A former chair of the board for Chicago House, he also was
campaign manager for Ald. Mary Ann Smith in 1991 and for
one of Dick Simpson’s campaigns against U.S. Rep. Dan
Rostenkowski. In his professional life, he is
telecommunications manager for the city’s Dept. of Aviation.
This election cycle, he is a volunteer for Rep. Tom Dart’s
campaign for Treasurer.
“I have known Dart for about 10 years,” Chester said. “He is
from the Southwest Side, but signed on and has been actively
supporting the human-rights bills from when he first went to
Springfield. I also like the track record of what he’s done for
children and the homeless. And I’m also very pleased that most
recently, as chair of the House Judiciary Committee, he
basically single-handedly buried the homophobic adoption bill
that had passed the Illinois Senate. Had that bill hit the floor of
the House, it would have passed.”
Chester added, “He is very bright, he listens very well, he asks
good questions, and he gets it.”
For gays, the state Treasurer’s campaign is probably the most
contested of the statewide races in the Nov. 5 elections. For
the most part, the Democrats have the gay vote locked up for
governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and
comptroller. But incumbent Republican state Treasurer Judy
Baar Topinka enjoys widespread support among the GLBT
community, not for her mixed record when she served in the
state Senate, but because of her outreach since becoming a
statewide officeholder. She has lobbied for the gay-rights bill,
and she has strongly courted the gay vote.
Dart has his gay support as well, including among partisan
Democrats who see this as the time for Dems to take back
control of the state from a Republican Party which has stifled
gay-rights legislation, despite the support of gay rights from
some moderate Republicans.
“One of his biggest issues is abandoned children,” Chester said
of Dart. “He has done a lot of fine legislation, and won awards
for this work. But he also understands who the gay and lesbian
community is–he sponsored a bill to help promote adoptions
by the gay and lesbian community. He understands the needs
of the kids, sees this group of people who want to adopt, and
he figured out we should promote this. I like that initiative.”
“This office is a state elected office,” Chester continued. “The
person who wins it, has influence in state government, has the
ability to introduce bills into the legislature directly, and has a
great deal of influence in their own party. One of the things he
has is a very good value system and he follows it as an
independent thinker. He really does follow what he believes is
the best way to go. I am supporting the Democratic ticket–I
think they’re going to be better for us and I do think it’s time
for a change.”