Michael Payne

Michael Payne was born in Chicago, Illinois.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago in the Chatham Community. Michael was raised by a family matriarch who migrated from Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago in 1943. The work ethic and values instilled in Michael, together with his desire to make the matriarch proud, pushed him to become a productive member of society.

Michael attended Olive Harvey Community College where he studied Criminal Justice, Robert Morris College where he studied Paralegal Science, and DePaul University where he studied Business Administration. Over the course of his career, Michael has worked as a Paralegal, Conflict Analyst, and Records Specialist with some of the leading law firms in Chicago. Michael has also held several positions in City Government, in Chicago and Atlanta.

The passion behind Michael's commitment to public service comes from his childhood hero, the late Mayor Harold Washington, and later, President Barack Obama. Michael volunteered for several political campaigns over the years, giving him a broad understanding of the different needs and concerns of voters. Michael saw firsthand the impact of how supporting the right candidate could affect his community.

After 15 years as a legal professional, Michael departed the private sector and entered the city government. Michael's first role was with the City of Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation, where he served under the direction of one of the Deputy Commissioners. Michael then went on to work for a veteran South Side

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Public Safety: For the first time in 25 years, Chicago has surpassed 800 homicides and Cook County had over 1,000. Violent crimes, including carjackings are up more than 50% in Chicago and Cook County had more carjacking in 2021 than it has had in two-decades. Most of these criminals are back on our streets with low bails, home monitoring, only to repeat the same offenses again. I have an aggressive plan to hold violent repeat offenders accountable at the federal level.Employment: In Illinois, the unemployment rate increased in 2020 for all racial groups. In Illinois, the unemployment rate was 14.4% for African Americans, 12.0% for Hispanics, and 8.5% for whites. We have to get American's back to work. I believe in federal incentives that revitalize businesses in our communities. I will fight for increased investment in infrastructure, and resources to promote small business growth. I believe in workers rights and the ability to collectively bargain. I will advocate for fair wages, and tackle income inequality.Education: I believe our education system should work from early childhood education to vocational trade programs, so that we’re providing the broad set of skills needed for our children to succeed. College should not be a requirement for success, and should be an option for those who are interested in pursuing it. However, we need more certification programs and college apprenticeship programs that are paired with the specific job opportunities available in today's market

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The average American just wants to be able to go to work and know they’ll have their jobs. They want to be able to walk out of their homes and know they’ll be safe. They want to send their kids to school and know they’ll get a quality education. Ask me what I am passionate about, its public safety, jobs, and quality education.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Mayor Harold Washington

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