James A. Balcer is alderman of the 11th Ward of the City of Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 (map). A member of the Democratic Party

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...

, he was appointed to 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...

 by Mayor Richard M. Daley

Richard M. Daley

Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...

 in 1997.

Balcer serves on six committees: Budget and Government Operations; Energy, Environmental Protection and Public Utilities; Finance; Human Relations; Police and Fire; and Transportation and Public Way.

Balcer served as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

 and in 2001 was belatedly awarded the Bronze Star.

He was appointed to the Council in the aftermath of a scandal about disclosures about then-Ald. Patrick Huels' private security firm that resulted in Huels' resignation.

Ald. Balcer's ward encompasses part of Chicago's Southwest Side, and includes the neighborhood of Bridgeport

Bridgeport, Chicago

Bridgeport, one of 77 community areas of Chicago, is a neighborhood located on the city's South Side. It is bounded, generally, on the west and north by the Chicago River, on the east by Canal Street, and on the south by Pershing Road.-History:...

, which has been home to five Chicago mayors, including both Richard M.

Richard M. Daley

Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...

 and Richard J. Daley

Richard J. Daley

Richard Joseph Daley served for 21 years as the mayor and undisputed Democratic boss of Chicago and is considered by historians to be the "last of the big city bosses." He played a major role in the history of the Democratic Party, especially with his support of John F...

.

Ald. Balcer attracted media attention in May, 2009 for ordering the removal of a mural that had been commissioned on private property.http://cbs2chicago.com/local/mural.alderman.balcer.2.1012941.html For this dubious destinction, Ald. Balcer received a 2010 "Jefferson Muzzle" from the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression.