Politics & Government

Schneider's and Obama's Early Fans Celebrate 10th Anniversary

The Tenth Congressional District Democrats are celebrating 10 years of political activism.

The Tenth Congressional District Democrats celebrated their 10th anniversary Tuesday with a keynote speech by Jon Carson, “Obama’s most important man in Chicago," as Chicago Magazine put it. 

The President is no stranger to the group, either. 

"In 2004, state Senator Barack Obama was a speaker in an early living room meeting [of the 10th Dems,]" said Lauren Beth Gash, founder of the political activist group. 

The group formed in 2003 in a Highland Park living room, with about 11 people eager to get involved with the surrounding community and local government. 

"There wasn't a lot of Democratic organization within the confines of the 10th District," Gash said. "The 10th district hasn't been represented by a Democrat since Ab Mikva," who served in the United State House of Representatives from 1969 to 1973 and again from 1975 to 1979. "Parts of the 10th District haven't been represented by a democrat in 100 years," she added.

The district's political identity changed last year when Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield) was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, which Gash says is one of the group's most significant achievements.  

"For 10 years the Tenth Dems have been a strong, powerful voice for our Democratic values and worked tirelessly to help support and elect Democrats throughout the Tenth District," Schneider told Patch. "I'm grateful for their support and look forward to working with them for years to come." 

The group seemed to have a long road ahead of them when they first formed with the mission to elect Democrats throughout all levels of government in the district. 

"Ten years ago, people were telling us that Democrats don't have a chance," said John Hmorovic, one of the group's founding members. "Things have changed and 10th Dems can't take all the credit, but I think we opened the door for a lot of Democrats to get involved."

"We recruit candidates, we support candidates and we thank candidates," Gash said. "Politics should be more than elections; it should be about making our communities better."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here