Ward Committeeman
Essentially the position is that of an unpaid political advocate. A Ward Committeeman is elected to a leadership position for a partisan political jurisdiction. In Cook County, each of the 50 Wards and 30 Townships elect a Committeeman to represent the people of both (or all) major political parties. Each Committeeman is a voting member of their chosen Cook County Party Organization. They are in charge of activities such as: voter registration within the Ward; hosting community forums; providing election materials; and facilitating the smooth operation of primaries and elections. They also recruit Election Judges, Precinct Captains, and Area Coordinators.
Ward Committeeman can be a very powerful position. Sometimes they control the ward and other times they are controlled by the Alderman. In some instances, the Alderman is also the Committeeman.
Either way, the role carries with it both the glory of being an insider and the clout that comes with being so close to an Alderman. In most cases, if the Committeeman bows to his patron, he will have the privilege of doling out jobs, favors, and services around the ward, and occasionally he will be able to put his people in other political positions outside of the ward.
Elections are when the committeeman really gets to shine, going out into the community and whipping up money, volunteers, and support for not only the Alderman, but also the slate of candidates that the ward party organization has endorsed. That's why you see stuff that says, for example, 50th Ward Democratic Club. This is the organization that the committeeman runs. They raise money, put out literature for candidates, rally the troops, and get out the vote.
49th Ward Committeeman
Democrat
Republican
50th Ward Committeeman
Democrat
Republican
