Ricardo Muñoz is a former member of the Chicago City Council, having served as alderman for the 22nd ward, which includes Little Village and Archer Heights. Muñoz was appointed to this position by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1993 and was the longest tenured Latino and fourth longest tenured member of the Chicago City Council.
Early and personal life
Ricardo Muñoz was born in Monterrey, Mexico. His family immigrated to the United States and settled on the Near West Side of Chicago. The family later moved to Little Village where he and his wife Betty currently own a home. During his teenage years, he was arrested three times and pleaded guilty to two weapons violations and one charge of cocaine possession. Each time he was given a year of court supervision. He later graduated high school and earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Northern Illinois University. Muñoz intervened to help his daughter, whose test scores weren't high enough, get into a prestigious city high school. Muñoz acknowledged August 13, 2009, that he called Whitney Young High School's principal Joyce Kenner to find a spot for his daughter who could not get in on merit. Muñoz was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery on January 2, 2019, stemming from an incident with his wife on New Year's Eve. In an order of protection filed with Cook CountyDomestic Violence Court, Betty Torres-Munoz alleges an intoxicated Muñoz grabbed and pushed her, causing injury to her head, back, and left arm, and that she feared for her well being.
Aldermanic career
Muñoz was first appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1993, to replace his mentor Jesús "Chuy" García, who joined the Illinois Senate. Muñoz was the youngest member of the City Council when he first joined the body in 1993. "Alderman Ricardo Muñoz is one of the few independents on the City Council who isn't afraid to speak out against the mayor when he sees fit," wrote the Chicago Tribune in endorsing Muñoz for re-election in February 2003. "He has presented a number of innovative ideas... a terrific choice for voters." As of June 9, 2018, Muñoz sat on the following committees: Budget and Government Operations; Committees, Rules and Ethics; Education and Child Development; Finance; Human Relations; Public Safety; and Council Office of Financial Analysis Oversight. He is also a founding member of the Chicago Progressive Reform Coalition and a member of the Chicago Latino Caucus. On August 2, 2010, Muñoz took the unusual step of admitting that he was an alcoholic just six months before standing for re-election. Muñoz endorsed Chris Kennedy in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary. He did not run for reelection in the 2019 Chicago aldermanic elections. Muñoz considered running in the 2019 Chicago mayoral election after Rahm Emanuel announced he would not seek reelection, but ultimately did not.
