Southwest Side Ald. Marty Quinn Won’t Seek Reelection After 4 Terms In City Council

MIDWAY — Ald. Marty Quinn, who has represented the 13th Ward on Chicago’s Southwest Side since 2011, will not seek reelection to the City Council next year.

The four-term alderman made the announcement Wednesday morning, seven months before the 2027 municipal election in February and just a few weeks before aldermanic candidates will begin collecting petition signatures to get on the ballot.

Quinn rose through the political ranks on the Southwest Side with the backing of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who for much of Quinn’s tenure at City Hall served as the 13th Ward Democratic committeeman and ran the Illinois Democratic Party.

Madigan, long described as the most powerful politician in Illinois, has since had a stunning fall from grace. Last year, he was found guilty on a series of federal corruption charges and sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison, which he is currently serving.

During his 15 years in office, Quinn has become known for his focus on constituent services and has described his support for schools in his ward as his “north star.”

The Southwest Side alderman has also become a reliable foil to Mayor Brandon Johnson and parts of his agenda over the past three years.

That includes crafting and passing through City Council an outright ban on the sale most intoxicating hemp products, which was later vetoed by Johnson.

Quinn also worked to water down an ordinance that expanded where coach houses and basement apartments, also known as additional dwelling units, could be built across the city. The “compromise” legislation that ultimately passed City Council restricted the units’ construction in certain single-family zones.

“So go ahead, ruin the integrity of single-family dwelling blocks. You’re only hurting the integrity of the city of Chicago,” Quinn said last year when a more unfettered version of the ordinance passed the council’s zoning committee.

Quinn has led a years-long push to create a new, standalone police district on the Southwest Side, although it’s been rebuffed by the Johnson administration and not moved forward.

In his retirement announcement on Wednesday, he did not mention potential successors or plans for his political future.

“I’m proud to have worked closely with dedicated staff, residents, community groups and local law enforcement to ensure our voices were heard at City Hall, whether advocating for a new Southwest Side police district or fighting for the resources our first responders and union workers deserve,” Quinn said in a statement.