Just like Dr. King, I have a dream. My dream is an Irish American Catholic mayor for our great city of Chicago. I dream of our city governed by someone with a functioning brain for a change. We haven’t had one like that in at least fifteen years. And if the stars align correctly I think I have found him.
His name is Liam Stanton. He grew up the youngest of eight kids in Rogers Park, St. Margaret Mary parish. He says: “My mom was a saint, she passed away last year unfortunately, but she was an absolute saint. My grandparents both came over from Ireland separately and met in Chicago. They raised nine kids. My dad was one of nine. Devon and Clark streets, right above a butcher shop, there was two bedrooms. Boys in one room, girls in the other. Old school. My dad became a Chicago Police Officer.”
Liam and parents
Supporting eight kids ain’t easy, but Liam’s dad Tom was resourceful.
“He also worked a lot of side jobs. So we had a Christmas tree lot on Western Avenue that we would run every year. I learned a little bit of my entrepreneurial passion there. I would help him. He’s supporting eight kids, he’s got a lotta work to do. He worked his ass off and that’s where we came from. It was great. We loved it.”
One summer during college, one of Liam’s pals started a moving company, put an ad on Craig’s List for “University Movers” and Liam scoffed at the idea. His friend ignored him and got 100 inquiries in one day. Now Liam wanted in, but it was too late. His pal wouldn’t go 50-50. So Liam started “College Movers.”
Liam says: “He was my best friend and we had competing moving companies the whole summer!...you learn a lot, you kinda eat what you kill out there and you learn hard work. And doing that early was great.”
His next venture was “Command Transportation,” a logistics company started by Paul Loeb, “who kinda invented freight brokering.”
Command grew and was acquired, and then Liam realized he had caught the entrepreneurial bug, joining another company, opening the Chicago office of “Arrive," then “Buoy” and so creating a culture for companies. Hehas the Midas touch and hopefully will revitalize the “city that works” when he is elected next year.
When I ask him about that 800-pound gorilla in the room, Chicago’s current unfortunate reputation for violent crime, I touched a nerve and he surprised me with his plan.
“In just a few days recently Chicago saw two people stabbed on a CTA train, a Loyola student, Sheridan Gorman, murdered near campus. Firefighter Michael Altman lost his life responding to a fire set by an arsonist, and a contractor shot in broad daylight near the United Center. Each of those incidents is horrific.
Liam with his wife Jackie and kids Rory and Mary
"And this is on top of all the other homicides and shootings! This isn’t normal. But it’s where we are.
"Public safety should be something we all expect — in every neighborhood, every day. Something needs to change.
"City leadership needs a reset with police. That starts with respecting the men and women who put their lives on the line every day. That doesn’t mean a lack of accountability. It means setting clear expectations and having trust in the people doing the work.
Liam with his dad Tom
"But more than anything, we need a plan people can feel, working in their day-to-day lives. In neighborhood after neighborhood, a relatively small group is responsible for a large share of violent crime. We know who many of them are. There is already coordination happening with federal law enforcement around gun cases.
"We should expand that work; the goal is simple: get violent offenders off our streets. We can fix that.
"And it’s not the only thing Chicago needs to get right. We need to grow our economy, make the city more affordable, get our finances in order, and build a government that works for people.
"But none of that works without safety.
Liam and family
The Stanton family
"It’s the foundation.
"When people feel safe, they support businesses. They spend time across the city. They live their lives with more opportunity — and more peace of mind. That benefits everyone. Chicago can be safer.
"And if we focus on what works and follow through, we will be.”
Remember his name, Liam Stanton, the son of an Irish American policeman. He just might save our city! February 23, 2027, is election day. I’m already on the bandwagon, so join us.
Liam announces candidacy at Irish Americah Heritage Centre
