May 27, 2015
O'CONNOR'S 41ST WARD DEFEAT PROMPTS BLOWBACK IN 2016 FOR ALLIES MULROE, McAULIFFE
It's blowback time in Chicago's northwest side 41st Ward, where Ald. Mary O'Connor's unexpected loss in the April 7 runoff impacts her allies, State. Sen. John Mulroe (D-10) and State Rep. Mike McAuliffe (R-20). O'Connor is the ward's Democratic committeeman and chief cheerleader for Mayor Rahm Emanuel. She lost 9,679-9,054 to Anthony Napolitano, and the ward's Democratic party has all but evaporated. Nature abhors a vacuum, and rumor has it that Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is preparing a "hostile takeover," and will field and fund somebody for committeeman in 2016, and against McAuliffe. It takes a special skill set to blow re-election as a Chicago alderman, inasmuch as each alderman has about $6.3 million to spend over a 4-year term, including $1.2 million annually on menu items, a staff and office allocation of $250,000-a-year, a salary of $117,000, plus the ability to raise $100,000 in yearly donations. How can you lose? O'Connor did. She won only 18 of 47 precincts, and won more than 60% in just three; she had no ground game, and relied on 25 mailings, most funded by Emanuel and the CFL. O'Connor had 4 years to sell herself, and failed. Napolitano's forces are targeting Mulroe in the 2016 primary, and will definitely run a candidate for Democratic committeeman.. Full Article...
May 20, 2015
UNIONS' SPENDING AND LIBERAL BASE INSURE SOLID ARENA WIN
John Arena was re-elected as 45th Ward alderman because of a simple equation: OPM = $703K. That means Other People's Money amounting to $703,000 fueled his victory over John Garido. Of that bundle, about $545,000 came from unions, either as direct donations or independent expenditures, with the bulk ($407,000) from SEIU, the bargaining agent for city workers. Arena won the April 7 runoff 8,488-7,263, a margin of 1,225 votes, up from 2011's 30-vote win. But Arena worked hard, was a visible presence in the ward, and had an anti-Emanuel voting record. He inundated households with almost 60 mailings. His liberal Portage Park base delivered the knockout: He won those 14 precincts with 66%, (3,254-1,675) while Garrido carried Jefferson Park by 187 votes and his home base of Gladstone Park by just 187 votes, Garrido was outspent 3-1. You can't beat OPM and $703K. Full Article...
May 13, 2015
ALD. SPOSATO DODGES "SWORDS OF DAMOCLES"
In an ancient Greek fable, a sword was hung by a hair above Damocles, so as to demonstrate the precariousness of ruling -- hence, the "Sword of Damocles." On Chicago's northwest side, "Sword of Sposato" is more appropriate. Firefighter Nick Sposato took on the Banks-DeLeo 36th Ward Machine for alderman in 2007, and was crushed. But he came back in 2011, and beat Banks' driver, but then found his ward dismembered in the 2011 remap, and his home put in the new Hispanic-majority 36th Ward. Undeterred, Sposato moved into part of his existing ward (Montrose-Cumberland) that was merged into Tim Cullerton's 38th Ward. Remappers thought Sposato toast. But then Cullerton retired, and Sposato's anti-Emanuel record brought in big bucks from SEIU and CTU. In his old ward section, Sposato got a stunning 72% in a 7-candidate field on Feb. 24, winning overall with 53%. "I Love My Alderman" trumped the "Sword of Damocles." Full Article...
May 6, 2015
DAVIS, CAROTHERS "BACK IN THE GAME" IN 29TH WARD
They're back in the game. In Chicago's West Side 29th Ward, Danny Davis and Ike Carothers are back -- via Chris Taliaferro's victorious aldermanic campaign Davis, the 7th District Congressman, and Corothers, who did a recent stint in the Big House, were mortal enemies; but they allied to beat Ald. Deborah Graham, who was pro-Emanuel and pro-pawn shops. The 2011 remap added 11 mostly - white precincts from Galewood-Montclare to the black Austin-based ward. Taliaferro won those precincts 3 to 1. Full Article...
Previous Articles