About Molly Phelan

Mary Anne “Molly” Phelan is an independent, progressive community leader with a strong business background and a passion for rebuilding our community.

Molly was born in Chicago, the daughter of Richard, a former federal prosecutor, and Clare, an Uptown social worker. The oldest of four kids, Molly’s parents taught her from a young age the importance of family, integrity, hard work, and public service. Molly grew up playing hockey with her brother, and volunteering through their local parish. After high school, Molly earned admission to the University of Notre Dame.

Fighting to Reform Government and Eliminate Waste
Majoring in Government and full of idealism, Molly pursued an academic internship with Chicago’s leading government watchdog, the Better Government Association. At the BGA, Molly learned firsthand of the need for greater transparency, accountability and real reform of city government. In 2008, Molly helped lead efforts to bring greater accountability and transparency when our tax dollars are being spent, opposing efforts to divert money that was intended for job creation to other projects.

As Alderman, Molly will fight for a detailed audit of the entire city budget to identify and cut waste while protecting vital programs like law enforcement and public education. She also wants to cut city elected officials’ salaries and require voter approval by taxpayers before the City Council can be awarded pay raises. And Molly supports mandatory jail time for elected officials who violate government ethics laws. Finally, Molly will fight for comprehensive TIF reform, seeking broad community input on major projects, ensuring tax dollars are dedicated to job creation and retention, and making sure residents have access to the most detailed information available.

Reviving Business Corridors and Creating Jobs
After graduation, Molly worked as a commercial real estate broker, and she understands what drives the decisions of small business owners and what it takes to bring new jobs to our neighborhood. Molly Phelan has met with local business owners throughout the neighborhood, and she has developed a detailed plan to create good-paying jobs in our community that will put people back to work, fill vacant storefronts and revitalize local business corridors. Molly is the only candidate endorsed by the Chicagoland chamber of Commerce and local business leaders.

Making Our Streets Safe
In 2003, Molly decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and enrolled in law school at Loyola University Chicago. While there, she worked with the city’s Gang and Drug Housing division, going after landlords who harbored gangs, guns and drugs on the Southwest Side. As alderman, Molly has pledged to lead that effort in the 46th Ward. She’ll draw on her experience working with the police officers in our neighborhood as CAPS beat facilitator to make our streets safe. Molly will back efforts by our next mayor to put more police on our streets, and she’ll oppose efforts to reduce the number of local prosecutors working to keep violent criminals behind bars.

As the daughter of an Uptown social worker, Molly understands that it takes more than police and prosecutors to make our streets safe. Gang recruitment in our neighborhood starts as early as fifth grade, and we must fundamentally reform our public schools and expand after-school programs to keep kids out of gangs and engaged in learning. Molly backs President Obama’s call for school reform and supports calls by education experts for a longer school day. Molly will work with our schools, churches and community groups to expand after-school programs that keep kids of the streets and away from gangs.

Since 2006, Molly has worked in her family’s law practice, focusing on municipal law, real estate, and property tax appeals. Her deep roots in the neighborhood include work on a broad range of issues as a member of the Buena Park Neighbors board, the Uptown Chicago Commission Board, and the Uptown Business Chamber to build a better neighborhood for us all. A proud Northsider, Molly enjoys taking in a Cubs game whenever she has the chance.