John Kozlar, AB’11, isn’t surprised there will be 19 runoff elections in Chicago on April 7, the most the city has held in a single election cycle in more than two decades. “I think everybody’s just realizing the situation we’re in as a city; we’re $26 billion in debt, and that’s through no fault of the residents.” This is what happens, he says, when Chicagoans are represented by politicians “who forget about the people and they forget about the neighborhoods.”

Kozlar, a 26-year-old law school student, will be on the ballot Tuesday, competing in a runoff election for the open 11th Ward alderman seat. It’s the first-ever aldermanic runoff election in the South Side ward, which encompasses Bridgeport, Canaryville, East Pilsen, and University Village and Commons.

Known for being the historical seat of the Cook Country Democratic Party, the 11th Ward has been home to five Chicago mayors, including Richard J. Daley and Richard M. Daley. But when Kozlar, a fourth-generation 11th Ward resident, calls the area “the heart of Chicago politics,” he’s referring to the machine-style politics he sees as having let the neighborhoods stagnate. He’s casting opponent Patrick Daley Thompson, current Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner and grandson and nephew of the former Chicago mayors, as another out-of-touch politician.

The fact that a Daley wasn’t able to capture 50 percent of the vote in the 11th Ward elections in February and avoid a runoff “just shows you the change in the atmosphere in Chicago,” says Kozlar. He senses the shift from four years ago, when he ran for the same alderman seat as a fourth-year in the College, coming up 1,255 votes short of forcing a runoff against a now-retired incumbent. “The difference between the two is the energy” in the community, he says—he feels his neighbors are ready for a change.

Kozlar was inspired to enter politics in large part by his position as president of the Canaryville Little League, where for the past six years he has seen what’s possible when community members come together toward a common goal. “We have the number one ballpark in the state of Illinois because people worked together, they volunteered nonstop, they put their community first,” he says. “It was just uplifting.”

His platform focuses on helping the community continue to invest in itself, from improving entertainment options in the area to launching a new jobs website that will connect the ward’s employers to job-seekers to help boost the local economy. He’s also pledged to donate part of his salary to community and school organizations that are already working to improve the ward.

Kozlar realizes he’s about half the age of the average Chicago alderman, but he sees his youth as an advantage. It means he will look out for the ward’s long-term interests, he says, and advocate for fiscal responsibility at City Hall. “We need a voice in there that’s going to be advocating for the next generation, so we don’t keep kicking the can down the road” and adding to the city’s debt, says Kozlar.

Besides, it’s never too early to get involved in politics, he says. “It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, it’s about believing in the process and believing you can make a difference.”