John Rice (alderman)
John Rice (c. 1968 – May 30, 2015) was an American politician who served as the alderman for Chicago’s 36th Ward on the far northwest side from October 6, 2009 to May 16, 2011. He was a Democrat.
Rice had a long career in city and county government. He worked for the Cook County Highway Department from 1991 to 1997, then joined the City of Chicago in 1997. He was a zoning inspector from 1997 to 2005 and later served as an assistant to Alderman William Banks, driving for Banks.
In 2009, Banks announced his retirement and asked Mayor Richard M. Daley to appoint Rice as his replacement. A planned $200-per-ticket retirement party drew criticism after media reports, and the party was canceled. Daley appointed Rice as the 36th Ward alderman on October 6, 2009, the City Council approved the appointment on October 7, 2009, and Daley swore him in.
As alderman, Rice generally voted in line with Mayor Daley’s positions. On April 5, 2011, Nick Sposato defeated Rice with 56% of the vote (5,629 to 4,378). Rice left office in May 2011.
On November 21, 2011, Rice began a new job as deputy director of traffic safety for the Illinois Department of Transportation at the James R. Thompson Center near City Hall, earning about $84,420 a year. He died at his home in River Grove on May 30, 2015.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:21 (CET).