MORGAN PARK — Andrea Zopp moved into her Morgan Park home in May 1996 and believes the neighborhood on the Far Southwest Side offers a bit of a blueprint on how to improve things overall.
Zopp, 58, is running for U.S. Senate. She will face U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth and state Sen. Napoleon Harris in a primary election March 15. The winner is expected to face Sen. Mark Kirk in the general election Nov. 8.
Zopp shared her strong feelings about the 19th Ward in a conversation with DNAinfo that was less about politics and more about the neighborhood where her baby blue house with its signature golden spire sits just north of Clissold Elementary School.
Zopp and her husband, Bill, raised their three children in their home in the 10900 block of South Oakley Avenue. The Zopp kids — Alyssa, 24, Kelsey, 22 and Will, 20 — are all grown but still prefer the pizza from nearby Milano's above all others, Zopp said.
"All of the things that make Beverly a great neighborhood appealed to us," said Zopp, who said she doesn't make the distinction between Beverly and Morgan Park, preferring to think of the two communities as one.
Zopp's daughters attended Ridge Academy in Beverly and later the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences in Mount Greenwood. Her son attended Clissold and later De La Salle Institute in Bronzeville.
"If you live in our neighborhood, you can find a good choice in schools," she said last week.
Among her first elected positions was a spot on the Local School Council at Clissold. On a larger scale, Zopp also served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and was the first woman and African-American to serve as the first assistant in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
A graduate of Harvard Law School, Zopp made a name for herself during the trial of former Rep. Mel Reynolds, who was accused of having sex with a teenage campaign worker. She won the trial despite accusations of racism throughout the case.
In fact, Zopp said diversity is an important part of her campaign, and it's also a reason she chose to live in the Beverly and Morgan Park area. She believes the lessons learned by living in a racially-mixed community are important and could benefit other communities as well.
"We wanted to be in a diverse neighborhood. We are diverse family," she said.
Alyssa Zopp is also in the process of becoming a Chicago Police officer. Her mother is proud of her career path, saying the 19th Ward is bastion for for police officers, firefighters and other public servants.
She believes that such relationships with law enforcement as well as close ties to neighbors are what keep the community safe and should be seen as a way to improve safety elsewhere.
"My neighbors know my children, and I know theirs," said Zopp, who also added that successful small businesses in also play a role by giving many area students their first jobs.
The career and academic success of young adults — particularly in underserved communities — was also a priority for Zopp when she served as president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League.
Zopp promised that if victorious in her bid for office, she will remain rooted on the South Side and shipping off to Washington D.C. is not part of the plan.
"I will never get my husband and family out of our home in Beverly," she said. "I'm not going to forget where I come from."
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