Live4Lali co-founder running for 51st District state rep
Chelsea Laliberte, an advocate for those impacted by drug and mental health issues, is running as a Democratic candidate for state representative in House District 51, which includes areas of south central Lake and northern Cook counties.
The co-founder of Live4Lali and the Lake County Opioid Initiative announced her candidacy Tuesday, asking voters for support to show what an "informed, independent voice can do in Springfield." It is her first run for public office.
"I'm not afraid to make good trouble or work hard to fix the root causes of our problems," she said in a statement.
"We can get Illinois back on track economically by prioritizing access to quality holistic health care, education, housing and job training/placement."
Laliberte lives in Palatine. The recently redrawn 51st District includes Ela, Fremont, Libertyville, Palatine, Vernon and Wauconda townships.
The seat is held by Republican Chris Bos of Lake Zurich, who upended incumbent Democrat Mary Edly-Allen of Libertyville last November.
Bos said he intends to run for re-election but criticized the Democratic legislature's adoption of new district boundaries in spite of a delay in federal census data. Bos said the issue delayed his formal campaign announcement while federal court cases are pending filed by Republican legislative leaders and by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
The primary election is June 28, 2022, and the general election will follow Nov. 8.
Laliberte and her parents founded Live4Lali after her brother, Alex, died from an accidental drug overdose in 2008. The nonprofit that provides peer support, education, harm reduction, outreach and advocacy to families started in Lake County and now serves five counties.
In 2012, Laliberte and public safety officials launched the Lake County Opioid Initiative, which worked to equip officers with the overdose reversal drug naloxone.
She also is the owner of CLB Strategies, a nonprofit leadership consulting firm.
She said issues affecting women and families, such as child care, need to be addressed comprehensively.
"There are so many issues my clients and community members tell me about," she said Tuesday. "People are suffering in silence."
Promoting work-life balance, equal pay, leadership training and hybrid work models are needed to benefit working families, she said.
"As a mother, social worker, community leader and problem solver, I'm running to ensure that all Illinois families have opportunities to thrive," she said in her candidacy announcement.
"These solutions will benefit all of Illinois in so many different ways."
If the Democratic-controlled remap survives challenges, Republican state Rep. Tom Morrison of Palatine would be drawn out of the 54th District and moved to the 51st.