Elianne "Ely" Bahena was raised by working class parents who immigrated from Guerrero, Mexico, and often worked more than one job at a time to provide for their family. Her father worked as a carpenter and drove an ice cream truck. Her mother cleaned houses, worked night shifts at a factory, and sold balloons as a street vendor along 26th Street and at Douglass Park. Eventually, her parents took a chance on themselves and opened a small family restaurant. Their sacrifices made Ely the first in her family to graduate from college and taught her to work hard, show up for others, and never forget where she comes from.

 

Ely has spent more than a decade serving Chicago communities through immigration advocacy, philanthropy, community work, and local government. She began her career working directly with immigrant families and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. During the COVID 19 pandemic, she worked alongside community partners to support immigrant families who were too often excluded from relief and struggling to access resources.

 

Today, Ely serves as Chief of Staff for Chicago’s 22nd Ward, where her goal has been simple: make government feel accessible. As part of the 22nd Ward team, she has helped advance work around affordable housing, school and athletic facility improvements, major water and street infrastructure, pedestrian safety, parks and public spaces, and neighborhood development. The experience has shown her what government can accomplish when it listens to residents and follows through.

 

Ely also serves as an elected 10th Police District Councilor representing Little Village, North Lawndale, and Pilsen, where she has fought for community centered public safety, accountability, and stronger protections for immigrant families.

 

And when Gregory Bovino and Border Patrol agents brought fear and terror into Chicago communities, Ely stood up. She joined neighbors through Migra Watch, warning families, documenting immigration enforcement activity, and defending the rights of community members. During that work, Border Patrol agents pulled Ely from a car, handcuffed her, and held her in federal custody for approximately seven hours.

 

The next day, Ely was back in her community continuing the work.

 

For Ely, that is what leadership looks like. It means showing up when people need you, standing up when something is wrong, and never being afraid to fight for your community.

 

Now Ely is running to bring that same commitment to the entire 22nd Ward. Little Village is the community that raised her, and the 22nd Ward is the community she has had the privilege of serving. She is running for a future where every neighborhood receives the attention and investment it deserves and where working families have a government that listens, delivers, and fights for them.

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“I am a product of this community. It raised me, shaped me, and taught me how to fight. I will always show up and fight for the people who call the 22nd Ward home.”