Rep. La Shawn Ford held an Aug. 20 fundraiser at the Billy Goat Tavern & Grill on the near West Side. Though he’s running for re-election in November, he said the event wasn’t as much a fundraiser as it was a way to get West Siders together to rally around the Harris-Walz ticket.
“It was an opportunity to have something near the convention center with Congressman Davis and for the community,” Ford told Growing Community Media. Tickets for the event ranged from $150 to $5,000, but no one was at the door checking for tickets and the employee at the cash register asked if I was with the party when I ordered food.
As I geared up to partake in my third coffee of the day after lunch, Ford seemed to have an abundance of energy, considering he likely went to bed after midnight yesterday and woke up by 6 a.m. He and Davis enthusiastically pulled attendees to the center of the room to say a few words, and were complimentary of each other in their efforts during the national election.
“Congressman, thank you very much for leading the way to get Kamala Harris to this point,” Ford said to Davis during a speech. “Many people don’t know that one of the reasons that Kamala Harris is the vice president today is because, when no one knew her the way he knew her, he pushed for Kamala Harris to be the vice president.”
The two were joined by dozens of officials, including Ald. Jason Ervin of the 28th Ward (who accidentally cut me in line for a hot dog and was very apologetic about it) and Nathaniel George Booker, mayor of Maywood.
“We got to take the city. We got to take the House and make sure that we have people across the board,” Booker said. “That’s what we got to do from a millennial standpoint, a Gen-Z standpoint, and every generation.”
“We have to vote,” he added. “We cannot stand on the sideline.”
“I think it would be in his benefit, the country and the world’s benefit for Donald Trump to just go back to business,” Ford told Growing Community Media.
The fundraiser also highlighted some of Ford and Davis’ shared goals, like improving education, income inequality and the wealth gap.
Outside of the national election, Ford is a sponsor for several pieces of legislation relevant to the West Side.
Since he became a House Representative in 2007, Ford has been advocating for a new high school in Austin. That will remain a top-of-mind effort if he’s re-elected, along with accessing funding to fix infrastructure that was destroyed after last summer’s devastating floods on the West Side.
As for what Ford thinks his constituents should know about the DNC, he said to try and get involved. He said that those without credentials to attend the DNC can still attend local events, like his fundraiser, or attend or host watch parties with friends.
“This is bigger than the moment,” Ford said, “It may feel inconvenient, but we should be engaged. It’s right here,” he added about the proximity of the convention to Chicago’s West Side.
Ford, like many other delegates, plans to be at the United Center Thursday when Vice President Kamala Harris gives her presidential nominee acceptance speech.
“That’s going to be the best,” Ford said. “She’s going to bring it down.”