1. Sophia D King was born on February 14,1966 and is an American politician and former member of Chicago City Council, who served as alderman from the 4th ward, which includes portions of the neighborhoods Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland, and South Loop.
Sophia King won a special election in 2017 to serve out the rest term of the Burns' unexpired term, and was re-elected to a full term in 2019.
Sophia King grew up in Evanston, Illinois, where her family moved after her mother was accepted to attend university at Northwestern.
Sophia King earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master's degree in education and social policy from Northwestern University.
Sophia King's husband studied for the bar with Michelle Obama and they are friends of the Obama family.
Sophia King worked as a chemistry teacher at the Latin School of Chicago.
Between 1996 and 2003, Sophia King owned the Brush Streaks pottery bar, a small business that was located on 53rd Street in Chicago.
Sophia King founded Harriett's Daughters, a nonprofit dedicated to employment and wealth creation opportunities for African-American neighborhoods.
Sophia King formerly served as president of the Kenwood Advisory Council, and as vice chair of the Chicago chapter of Planned Parenthood Sophia King was a member of the It's Time Organization anti-gun violence group.
Sophia King was sworn in to the City Council on April 13,2016.
Sophia King's seat represented one of the financially wealthy and most ethnically diverse wards in the city.
Sophia King was appointed from a field of three finalists and eighteen initial applicants.
Sophia King had run with the endorsement by President Barack Obama, with whom she has long been friends.
Also endorsing Sophia King was County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who had formerly represented the 4th district on the council.
Sophia King was a member of the committees on Rules and Ethics, Health and Environmental Protection, Housing and Real Estate, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, Transportation and Public Way and Workforce Development and Audit.
Sophia King was the chair of the Chicago City Council Progressive Reform Caucus.
In 2017, Sophia King's husband was fined by the Chicago Board of Ethics for illegally lobbying Mayor Emanuel without first registering as a lobbyist.
Sophia King criticized the board, accusing them of failing to follow the "spirit or the letter of the law" in fining her husband.
Sophia King's husband challenged the matter, and the board ultimately agreed to drop the fine on the condition that Sophia King would not commit any further lobbying violations over the next year.
In 2019, Lori Lightfoot was elected in a runoff against Sophia King's endorsed candidate, Toni Preckwinkle.
Sophia King was at odds with Lightfoot over the city's acquisition of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center.
Sophia King argued that Lightfoot had acted beyond her authority in the matter, while Lightfoot accused Sophia King not supporting the continued operation of the hospital.
In June 2019, Sophia King introduced the "Raise Chicago" ordinance to the council, which would have increased minimum wage in Chicago to $14 after July 2020 and then $15 after July 2021.
Sophia King submitted an emergency request to advance the nomination.
In 2021, Sophia King proposed imposing outright ban on historic house museums in locations where zoning only allows for detached houses on individual land lots and imposing the requirement of special permission from either the Zoning Board of Appeals of City council for such museums in other areas where the majority of residences are single-family residences.
Sophia King revised her efforts in regards to historic house museums, shifting to championing and introducing to the council a revised proposal put forth by the Department of Planning and Development which did not include a ban, instead creating a requirement that such museums receive special permission in order to establish themselves in residential areas.
Sophia King was involved in the creation of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
Sophia King introduced an ordinance increasing the number of days organizers need to give for special events to 20 days.
Sophia King co-sponsored the Anjanette Young Ordinance, which prohibits the Chicago Police Department from executing no-knock warrants.
Sophia King was supportive of retaining the practice of aldermanic prerogative, an unwritten practice on the council that gave aldermen final approval over zoning and development within their own ward.
Sophia King opposed the prospect of the site of the former Michael Reese Hospital becoming location of the casino that Chicago had been given a state license to have operate within its borders.
Sophia King made it known that she more broadly opposed the opening of a casino in Bronzeville or any other parts of the 4th ward.
Sophia King was made to recuse herself on the vote approving construct ion of a casino by Bally's Corporation in the River West neighborhood due to the legal work that her husband's law firm had done for Bally's.
In 2021, Sophia King partnered with alderman Gilbert Villegas and Maria Hadden to co-sponsor a non-binding resolution calling for the city to create a $30 million pilot program on universal basic income.
Sophia King co-sponsored the "Bring Chicago Home" ordinance, which proposed raising money to combat homelessness by increasing the real estate transfer tax for property transactions exceeding $1 million.
Sophia King was involved in the successful push to rename Lake Shore Drive for Jean Baptiste Point du Sable.
Sophia King prevented a car sharing pilot program by the company Car2go from operating in her ward, citing concerns about the ward's street parking capacity.
Sophia King had endorsed Prentice Butler to be elected as her successor in the election for 4th ward alderman.
Sophia King has been wed to her husband, Alan Sophia King, since the 1980s.
Sophia King's husband is a lawyer and a DJ in the group "Chosen Few".
Sophia King herself has been the main organizer for annual summer music festivals hosted by Chosen Few.