Deborah Lane announces campaign for 42nd Ward alderman

Longtime transit leader and public servant launches campaign focused on Safety, Security, and Service

CHICAGO — Deborah Lane, a longtime transit leader and public servant, today announced her campaign for alderman of Chicago's 42nd Ward. Lane is running to bring new energy, accessible leadership, and dependable service to a ward that is both a neighborhood and an economic center for the city and state.

“Downtown is the economic engine of Illinois, but it is also home,” said Deborah Lane, candidate for 42nd Ward Alderman. “The people who live here should be able to sleep at night, ride the CTA, walk through their neighborhoods, and know their alderman will answer when they need help. They can never be an afterthought.”

Lane spent 32 years at the Chicago Transit Authority in frontline and supervisory jobs before retiring in 2023. As a union leader, she advocated for safer workplaces and a trained, stable workforce—because Chicagoans depend on transit workers to keep buses and trains safe, reliable, and moving. She served as Secretary-Treasurer of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308 and first female President of the ATU Illinois Joint Conference. She currently serves as a senior adviser in the Illinois State Treasurer's Office.

Lane's campaign will be guided by Safety, Security, and Service: the safety to move through the ward with confidence, the security to build a life here, and the service to be heard and get an answer. She will work for safer streets and transit, housing people can afford, quieter nights, dependable city services, good jobs, thriving small businesses, and a ward office that is visible, accessible, and accountable.

“People have shown up for me, and I have shown up for them. Now we need to show up for each other,” continued Lane. “That is what public service means to me: show up, listen, and work together to get things done. I'm rolling up my sleeves and giving this everything I've got.”

Lane grew up in a family grounded in faith, education, and community service and raised three children as a single mother. Her campaign will emphasize her practical knowledge of city services, her experience working across government and community organizations, and a results-focused approach to representing the ward.

Learn more, contact the campaign, or contribute at deborahlanefor42.com.