2 Business Owners Challenge Ald. Daniel La Spata In 1st Ward Race

WICKER PARK — Two local business owners will be on the February ballot to challenge Ald. Daniel La Spata for his 1st Ward seat. Laura Yepez, who owns Wicker Park Inn and is also the 1st Ward committeeperson for the Cook County Democratic Party, and Bill Thanoukos, a West Town resident and restaurant owner, filed to challenge La Spata as he seeks a third term in office, according to petitions submitted to the Chicago Board of Elections. No candidates received any petition challenges, according to the Chicago Board of Elections . The 1st Ward stretches from the eastern portion of Logan Square down through most of Wicker Park, parts of East Humboldt Park and portions of West Town and Ukrainian Village. Here is who has filed to run: Daniel La Spata La Spata, who lives in Logan Square, easily won the 2019 election to oust former Ald. Joe Moreno after nine years in office. He narrowly won in 2023 against three challengers, including Moreno. An advocate for safer streets and improved cycling infrastructure, La Spata has supported the Smart Streets program , which will be expanding citywide after getting City Council approval last month. The pilot program uses cameras on CTA buses and city vehicles to issue tickets to drivers blocking bike and bus lanes launched in November 2024 in a limited area that included Downtown and parts of West Town, River North and the South Loop. His “Meet Me on Milwaukee” pilot program that shut down parts of the street in Wicker Park has also been well received. He’s also pushed for the city’s first automated public bathroom , which is under construction in Wicker Park’s Polish Triangle, despite pushback from some neighbors. In Logan Square, he has worked to secure a Trader Joe’s and a Whole Foods coming to the Milwaukee portion of his ward . Bill Thanoukos Thanoukos, who lives in West Town, owns Greek Kitchen, a local chain with locations in the Loop and Streeterville. He also helps run Hub’s Restaurant, 5540 N. Lincoln Ave., started by his immigrant parents that’s been serving the North Side for over 50 years, according to Thanoukos’ campaign website and city records. Thanoukos studied law at Loyola University and then worked as Chief of Staff to City Treasurer Stephanie Neely before getting appointed to Chicago Housing Authority Board in 2018 . He is no longer on the board. The father of two is focusing his aldermanic campaign on building more housing that can keep the area affordable by also pushing to lower property taxes, investing in early childhood education and supporting small business to cut “red tape, improve city services, expand access to capital,” according to his campaign website . Laura Yepez Yepez, who lives in Wicker Park, owns Wicker Park Inn , a boutique nine-room bed and breakfast at 1331 N. Wicker Park Ave. that has been around for more than 20 years. She has been the 1st Ward committeeperson for the Cook County Democratic Party since 2024, and founded 1st Ward Democrats to engage residents in the political process, per her campaign website . She used to serve on the board of the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce and is the current president of the Chicago Bed and Breakfast Association. She has also served on Lincoln Park High School’s local school council. The daughter of immigrants and a mother herself, Yepez is also focusing her aldermanic campaign on increasing housing and density, particularly repealing opt-outs in the city’s additional dwelling unit proposal that stalled earlier this year , reforming the city’s permitting process, and streamlining procurement to fix the city’s budget deficit, according to her campaign website . ______________________________________________________________________ Support Local News! Subscribe to Block Club Chicago , an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods. Already subscribe? Click here to gift a subscription , or you can support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation. Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast: Should Chicago Have Public Festival Grounds? It’s On The Ballot. Episode play icon Should Chicago Have Public Festival Grounds? It’s On The Ballot. Episode play icon Need A Halloween Costume? A Chicago Thrifting Expert Shares Her Secrets Episode play icon The Cubs Win The Latest Round In Their 20-Year Battle With The Rooftops Load More Search Results placeholder Previous Episode Show Episodes List Next Episode