Dowell vs. Dunkin: Two strong candidates seek committee post in Third Ward

By Kathy Hills 

Voters will have a tough choice between two very popular candidates for 3rd Ward Democratic Committeeman. Ken Dunkin is the incumbent 5th District State Representative and has won by large margins in his last several races. Pat Dowell is the incumbent 3rd Ward Alderman, who defeated the powerful Dorothy Tillman last year and now wants the committeeman spot, also formerly Tillman’s. Most Democratic ward committeemen are aldermen, but Dunkin hopes the 3rd Ward will become an exception.

            Pat Dowell has been the ward’s alderman since May 2007. “As a political advocate for the 3rd Ward within the Democratic Party, I will see to it that the ward’s voice is represented," Dowell said. "We will increase voter registration and encourage voter turnout within the ward. We have traditionally had a low turnout, but this ward is too important in the scope of our city to not be given its proper due. We must make sure polling places are fully accessible, and we must clean up our voting rolls.”

Dowell believes the alderman and committeeman should work in tandem and that the best way to achieve that is to make sure they are the same person. The committeeman’s job is to “encourage eligible voters to vote, but they will not do so unless they see positive things happening in their community and their elected officials at work,” Dowell said. “I have lived in the 3rd Ward since 1998 but worked in it forever.”

With her background in urban planning Dowell played an important role in the historic Bronzeville community’s rebirth. A city planner under Mayors Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer, and Richard M. Daley, she also has served as executive director of the Near West Side Community Development Corporation, founding executive director of the Mid-South Planning and Development Commission, and executive director of Chicago Public Allies.

She has endorsements from Congressmen Danny K. Davis and Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.; Cook County Commissioners Larry Rogers, Jr. and Jerry Butler; State Representative Esther Golar; and the Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct Organization.

Dowell holds a master's degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago.

Kenneth “Ken” Dunkin is a man on the run: running for 3rd Ward Committeeman; running for reelection as State Representative; and just plain running. Born and reared in Cabrini-Green, he breathlessly explained, “I’ve been organizing precincts and workers for as long as I can remember. I’ve been a volunteer in ward politics since I was in high school and all through graduate school. This ward wasn’t organized. There was no tight structure.

“Volunteering has a natural progression," Dunkin continued. "I was a Young Democrat, a precinct captain for my mentor Jessie White, and now State Representative since 2002. This is not a job for the shy. I enjoy people and love talking to them. As an elected official I need to earn people’s respect. It’s not an entitlement.” 

Dunkin said he has not and will not ask for endorsements. “I won’t be bought by people, unions, or other entities.”

He feels the volunteer, unpaid committeeman position should be separate from the aldermanic position. “We need checks and balances to maintain accountability,” Dunkin said. 

Dunkin was director of the Robert Taylor Boys and Girls Club from 1996 until 2002. He serves on the boards of the Chicago Urban League, the Near North Health Services Corporation, and the Cabrini-Green Legal Aid Advisory and is a member of the Grand Boulevard Federation and the City Club of Chicago.

He received an associate of arts degree from Harold Washington College, a bachelor's degree in political science from Morehouse College, and a master's degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago.