Hibernian Radio March 21, 2026
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In this episode of Hibernian Radio, host Mike 'Houli' Houlihan welcomes Liam Stanton, a 38-year-old Chicago police officer's son and lifelong Rogers Park resident, as his first mayoral candidate interview. Stanton, the youngest of eight children in a proud Irish-American family, shares his working-class roots, entrepreneurial journey through startups like College Movers and Buoy, and his experience scaling logistics companies like Command and Arrive. He articulates a clear vision for Chicago centered on growth, affordability, and safety, advocating for creative reuse of downtown alleys, legalization of food carts, and streamlined housing development. Stanton positions himself as a pragmatic, values-driven leader uninterested in ideology, emphasizing unity, common sense, and a 'hustle' mentality rooted in his family's legacy. He addresses concerns from labor groups, police, and tech entrepreneurs, promising to support unions, back law enforcement, and attract talent back to Chicago. The episode closes with a tribute to fallen public servants and a call to action for listeners to support Stanton’s campaign at StantonForChicago.com.
Focus on practical solutions over ideology: Stanton prioritizes outcomes over labels, emphasizing 'getting things done' for working families.
Revitalize downtown through creative reuse: Propose turning underused alleys into vibrant, small-business-friendly spaces to attract people back to the Loop.
Legalize food carts to boost street life: Advocate for removing bans on food carts to increase foot traffic, support small vendors, and create a virtuous cycle for restaurants.
Prioritize affordability with childcare and housing reforms: Push for universal childcare support and simplified, fast-track housing development to retain working families.
Bring entrepreneurial urgency to city government: Commit to unwinding bad contracts (like the parking meter deal) and adopting a business-like mindset to fix city finances.
Introduction and Tribute to Fallen Firefighter
Host Mike Houlihan opens the show with a personal reflection on letting go of blame and welcomes listeners after St. Patrick's Day. He delivers a heartfelt tribute to a Chicago firefighter who died this week, setting a tone of community and remembrance.
Liam Stanton: From Rogers Park to the Mayoral Race
“You know, I think it's right for my dad, honestly. You know, he's a Chicago police officer, but he really was an entrepreneur. I'm sure your dad too is, these guys are constantly looking for like the next thing. They're always on it. You gotta be on the hustle. You gotta be on the hustle. It's all hustle. City on the make, man.”
Career in Logistics and the Entrepreneurial Mindset
“I think two things that everybody should do is first spend some time in the service industry. So be a barback, be a waiter, be a server, cab driver, Uber driver, whatever. And spend some time in sales because you learn, you get a lot of no's. You learn a lot of resilience from that.”
The Vision for Chicago: Growth, Affordability, Safety
“We need to start getting creative with new ways to use the loop. Yeah. You see when the loop doesn't thrive, the impact it has on a city. Those property values fall. That property tax burden shifts to the south and west side this time. Crime goes up. Crime goes up. It's not good. We need a healthy loop.”
Addressing Labor, Police, and Tech: A Pragmatic Approach
“I'm going to figure this out because the city is declining. And that bothers me. So I would bring that urgency every day. I know what it's like to run a business when it's your money on the line. The money's going out. And right now, our money is running out. So we got to figure things out.”
“I don't give an SHIT about any of that. Here's the only lens I think about is through when I was growing up, my dad's working three jobs, my mom's raising eight kids. We're trying to get ahead. What matters in that house? And that's all my focus in is getting things done.”
“I'm going to figure this out because the city is declining. And that bothers me. So I would bring that urgency every day. I know what it's like to run a business when it's your money on the line. The money's going out. And right now, our money is running out. So we got to figure things out.”
“You know, I think it's right for my dad, honestly. You know, he's a Chicago police officer, but he really was an entrepreneur. I'm sure your dad too is, these guys are constantly looking for like the next thing. They're always on it. You gotta be on the hustle. You gotta be on the hustle. It's all hustle. City on the make, man.”
Host
Guest
Hibernian Radio
organization
Mike 'Houli' Houlihan
person
Liam Stanton
person
Chicago Police Department
organization
Patty Houlihan
person
Flood Brothers Disposal
organization
Madden Funds
organization
Command Transportation
organization
Chicago Bears
organization
Brandon Johnson
person
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