Brian Gladstein named Executive Director for Common Cause Illinois

CHICAGO, (July 16, 2015) – Common Cause Illinois (CCIL) is pleased to announce Brian Gladstein as its new Executive Director. Mr. Gladstein succeeds Rey López-Calderón, who will join the national staff of Common Cause.

During Mr. Gladstein’s tenure, CCIL has led major campaigns to expand voting rights and advocate for campaign finance reform, having successfully advocated for the passage of online voter registration and same day registration and, most recently, organizing to place and pass a citywide advisory referendum question on the 2015 municipal election ballot asking voters whether they would support a small donor public financing system in Chicago (79% of voters voted affirmatively).

“More and more people are looking for solutions to the challenges facing our democracy, and Brian’s work is one reason Illinois is leading the nation on the most important issues of our time. Brian knows how to win campaigns, build strong coalitions, and engage people from different backgrounds in democracy. He will continue to keep Common Cause Illinois at the forefront of political reform in the state,” said Ami Gandhi, Common Cause Illinois Board Chair.

Prior to joining Common Cause in 2012, Mr. Gladstein served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. Mr. Gladstein spent over a decade as part of the senior management team at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs where he worked on such issues as affordable housing, public transportation, health care, and immigration. Mr. Gladstein holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs and Environmental Science from Indiana University and a master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“We are proud of the work that Common Cause Illinois is doing to hold power accountable through grassroots lobbying. Brian and Rey have been instrumental to successfully re-launching our state operations and building a sustainable organization,” said Miles Rapoport, National President of Common Cause.

Brian Gladstein can be reached in our Chicago office at 312-372-2422 to share more about the work of Common Cause and Illinois politics.