Waguespack was the city administrator and chief of staff to Berwyn, Illinois mayor Michael A. O'Connor in 2005.
Aldermanic career
Waguespack was first elected as Chicago alderman for the 32nd Ward in 2007, unseating incumbent alderman Theodore Matlak. He has subsequently been reelected in 2011, 2015, and 2019.
In the 2019 Chicago mayoral election, Waguespack endorsed Lori Lightfoot, publicly declaring his support of her candidacy in advance of the first round of the election.[9] Waguespack has been a City Council ally of Lightfoot during her mayoralty.[10][11] He has endorsed her for reelection in the 2023 Chicago mayoral election.[12] During Lightfoot's mayoralty, Waguespack chaired the City Council's finance committee.[11]
In January 2020, Waguespack proposed legislation that would have placed limits on single-use plastics and foam food containers by giving give restaurants and take-out establishments until January 1, 2021, to stop selling or serving food in polystyrene containers and limit use of plastic utensils and straws.[10][13]
Actions on housing
In 2012, Waguespack pushed to reduce the number of units in proposed apartment building on the site of a gas station on North and Hermitage avenues. Initially proposed to be a five-storey building with 44 units, Waguespack pushed to scale it down to a 30-unit 4-storey building.[14]
In 2017, Waguespack blocked a proposed 6-storey 27-unit apartment building on a vacant industrial lot at 1894 N. Milwaukee Ave in his district. Waguespack had concerns about the height of the building.[15]
In 2024, Waguespack sought his aldermanic privilege to block a 615-unit apartment building (of which 124 units were affordable housing) on the lot of a former industrial site in his district.[16][17][18] Waguespack offered various explanations for opposing the increase in housing supply, including saying the building was too tall, the building would lead to congestion, and criticizing that the developer received tax breaks for including affordable housing units.[17][18] Mayor Brandon Johnson pushed for the building despite Waguespack's opposition.[17]
