Edward Michael Burke (born December 29, 1943) is an American politician who is the alderman of Chicago's 14th ward. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the Chicago City Council in 1969, and represents part of the city's Southwest Side. Chair of Council's Committee on Finance, Burke has been called Chicago's "most powerful alderman" by the "Chicago Sun-Times". Burke was named one of the "100 Most Powerful Chicagoans" by "Chicago Magazine", describing him as "ne of the last of the old-school Chicago Machine pols."