In 14 wards around the city, the top two finishers in close aldermanic races will face off April 5 for a run-off election.
Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel said Wednesday he’d be willing to help some of those candidates, not just with money but with advice. The unions will get involved — and most likely some will be on the other side from Emanuel.
Some finalists are long-time aldermen, such as Bernie Stone (50th) facing a spirited challenge from Debra Silverstein, wife of State Sen. Ira Silverstein. Some are brand-new appointed aldermen, such as Tim Cullerton (38th), who will square off against property manager Tom Caravette. Others are vying for open seats in which the top two vote getters failed to get a majority of the vote.
Seven races are on the North Side, five are on the South Side, and two are on the West Side.
The Election That Wouldn't End
Lots of runoffs:
Hopefully, these changes will blunt the "rubber stamp" image of the current City Council and permit us to effectively fight untoward actions against our pension promises. Enough of the aldercreatures may be amenable to seeing things our way if they're brand new.