Harry Osterman is a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 member of the Chicago City Council

Chicago City Council

The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...

, representing the 48th ward. He previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives

Illinois House of Representatives

The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...

, representing the 14th District from 2000 to 2011.

Osterman began his career as an aide to 48th ward Alderman Mary Ann Smith

Mary Ann Smith

Mary Ann Smith is alderman of the 48th ward of the City of Chicago; she was appointed in 1989 by Mayor Richard M. Daley to replace Kathy Osterman; she was first elected in 1991. On February 27, 2007 she was re-elected to her fifth full term of office....

, then he worked as a staff liaison to the Chicago Police Department

Chicago Police Department

The Chicago Police Department, also known as the CPD, is the principal law enforcement agency of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Chicago. It is the largest police department in the Midwest and the second largest local law enforcement agency in the...

 and the Cook County

Cook County, Illinois

Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...

 State's Attorney’s Office.

Harry Osterman was originally appointed as to the state house to complete the term of Carol Ronen

Carol Ronen

Carol Ronen was a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 7th District from 2000 to 2008.- Early life :Ronen graduated from Bradley University with a degree in Political Science...

, who had been elected to the Illinois Senate

Illinois Senate

The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from...

.

Claiming a "background with law enforcement," some of his major legislative efforts have focused on areas of public safety. He helped get tougher penalties for violent and repeat domestic abusers and worked to increase penalties for unlicensed drivers. He also helped the CAPS

Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy

Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy was started in 1993 as a pilot program in five diverse neighborhoods. A year later, the Chicago Police Department implemented CAPS all across Chicago...

 programs in the 20th and 24th police districts secure state grants. Osterman is a strong advocate of gun control.

External links

• Neighbors for Harry Osterman official campaign website
• Follow the Money - Harry Osterman
  • 2006 2004 2002 2000 campaign contributions