Many college students work alongside their studies at school. Often this is a way to make a little extra money to spend on the weekend, pay off student loans, or even save for future investments.

Fenwick graduate David Krupa is very similar to these students, but his planned career is slightly different than the average college part-time job: David Krupa is running for alderman in Chicago’s 13th Ward.

Krupa graduated from Fenwick this past May, a member of the class of 2018. Currently he is enrolled at DePaul University and studying political science and business,

Krupa says that he has been fascinated by politics from a young age, saying, “I really started to develop an in-depth interest in politics in 4th grade when I started to listen to concerns from older people around me about how corrupt government is and all of the consequences that fall on the people because of it.”

These concerns about the corruption in the government took shape in Krupa’s mind, and he felt a need to change this system. He confirmed that his decision was influenced by this when he stated, “I decided to run because of how dissatisfied I and other people are with the way things are done in the City and our ward… I decided to run to help work against corruption, put a stop to wasteful spending, get rid of cronyism, and be a voice for people who don’t have one or can’t seem to get their message heard.”

Krupa is running against sitting Alderman Marty Quinn, who was chosen specifically by Mike Madigan, Illinois House of Representatives speaker and one of the most powerful men in Chicago politics. Because Madigan holds so much power in Illinois, it is difficult to run against him or anyone backed by him, which makes Krupa’s race this year much harder to win.

The odds seem stacked against Krupa, especially since there has been no opponent on the ballot in the 13th Ward since 1991.

Even in the face of opposition, his plan is simple: “I plan on knocking on a lot of doors, meeting with people, listening to their concerns, letting them know they are an important part of the community, and taking suggestions on how to solve some of our problems.” His basic message speaks to many who tire of corruption– it’s time for change and an end to dirty politics.

If elected, Krupa has a list of actions he would like to take, some of which include bettering the education system in the ward, securing more patrols to protect the community, voicing concerns of the people about high taxes in Cook County, and working with other officials to lower them.
Highest on his to-do list is procuring the money to execute these plans, which he plans to do by eliminating wasteful spending of money from the city and using it instead to invest in the community.

According to Krupa, people in the community are tired of corruption and eager for a young perspective to incite change. The campaign is currently working on acquiring signatures.

Though they already have the minimum number of signatures required to hold a spot on the ballot, Krupa wants to get five or six times the minimum amount of signatures in order to secure a spot on the ballot. He is confident in his ability to accomplish this too, saying “We’ll do it!”

The Chicago aldermanic elections are scheduled to take place on February 26, 2019. Until then, we must simply wait and see how David Krupa’s race will unfold.