91 Comments - Howie - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:10 pm: How many precincts in Chicago? 2065? - Howie - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:11 pm: Never mind. 2570. Checked with the city. - amalia - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:20 pm: Rich, thanks so much for the one stop election night shopping. much appreciated. - Kielbasa King - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:41 pm: It looks like Bernie Stone is heading for a runoff in the 50th…He has got 37% with 60% of the vote in. Thank God! http://www.chicagoelections.com/race_results.php?id=681 - Jeff - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:46 pm: Chicago is sure fast at vote-counting. Mayor Emanuel it is! - BSP II - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:46 pm: I’m guessing about 95% of the people in the 20th who voted for Che “Rhymefest” Smith did so solely for the awesome name. Unfortunately for Cochran, that funny name is going to force him into a run-off. - 47th Ward - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:49 pm: Wow, turnout is the story. - BSP II - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:50 pm: O’Donnell better pray he picks up a point on Pawar in 47 - if not, that’s going to be a huge upset. Schulter machine = notsomuch. - BSP II - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:51 pm: I thought 32 would be a lot closer but Waggy is cleaning up. Granted, he did drop a lot of mail and robocalls in the last 10 days. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:53 pm: If I were Burke, I’d keep my campaign money and give up my drivers and car for a CTA monthly. He got smoked, and the guy who beat him ain’t friendly. Carol Mosely Braun is going to be a very weird and incomprehensible encyclopedia entry one day, - BSP II - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:54 pm: Also a disappointing showing for the Levar/UFCW candidate in 45. Looks like she’s going to stay in 3rd. - Edison Parker - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:54 pm: BSP II - Schulter’s machine has been waning for awhile now. They couldn’t get Farley elected for Fritchey’s seat in the last election either. They got a judge elected in 2008, but not much else. - Downstater in Chicago - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:57 pm: This thing is done…from Da Mayor to RahmMayor. - Angry Chicagoan - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:58 pm: Looking at the ward by ward and the turnout in the Chico (i.e. machine) wards is HUGE compared to the rest of the city. Chicago leading in wards 10 through 14; 19; 22 through 25; and 41. Emanuel everywhere else. - Angry Chicagoan - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 7:59 pm: Oh dear. I can’t type tonight. Chico. Chicago. Potaytoe. Potahtoe. - Burrito Bandit - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:00 pm: I switched to WTTW. No brainer story of tomorrow is the diminished influence of the African-American wards. It will be interesting to see the turnout numbers and the split between CMB and Rahmbo. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:01 pm: Chico can’t be leading in 11. Kass says the Daleys were for Rahm. - Angry Chicagoan - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:07 pm: John Kass can say what he wants. - Anon - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:07 pm: I’m watching CLTV. WGN just declared Rahm the winner. (And John Kass is an idiot.) - Downstater in Chicago - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:10 pm: Rep. Gutierrez (speaking on WBEZ from Chico headquarters) says the big surprise for the campaign is how poorly CMB did. Indicates the campaign was counting on this to be a three person race in order to force a runoff. Pretty much nails it on the head. - justbabs - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:10 pm: Northwest side has many run-offs, 38, 45, 41, 36(?). 47 is the big news - especially compared to 32. - Wensicia - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:11 pm: Looks like the failure of the so-called ‘consensus’ candidate to deliver the votes, especially from her own community, gave Emanuel the early victory by avoiding the runoff. I believe most African Americans stayed home on this one. - Angry Chicagoan - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:12 pm: Looks like I mistakenly included 24 in Chico’s column. It’s overwhelmingly Rahm. Everything still the same as earlier in the evening. - Ravenswood Right Winger - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:13 pm: 92% of the vote counted in Ward 47, Pawar just nudged over 50%. if he wins, massive slap in the face to Schulter’s machine….and Schulter didn’t even get that board of review job! - Obamarama - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:23 pm: I absolutely can’t wait for Rahm to turn off his campaign persona and go back to the Rahm we all hate/love/love to hate. Start the party of right, Rahm: drop and F-bomb in your victory speech. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:23 pm: But how’s The Great Waugepuss doing? According to Kass, he’s the lonely alderman who drove Daley to retirement by saying the magic words “forensic audit.” Who knew it was that easy? Worked for Brady. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:25 pm: ===But how’s The Great Waugepuss doing? === 66 percent. - kj - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:25 pm: Did Carol just say “someday we may be able to elect a woman mayor of chicago”? Jane Byrne, hello? - OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:28 pm: So does that mean 8.8% is not a consensus? Wow, didn’t win a single ward. So I guess Chicago is filled with infidels! - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:28 pm: People, enough with the stupid and angry drive-by comments. Go away if you can’t contain yourself. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:30 pm: And, to the people harping about turnout, let me just say this: Those who stayed home voted for the winner. That’s the way it goes in a system like ours. Stop whining, people, or I’ll shut off comments. - Don't Worry, Be Happy - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:32 pm: Why the surprise that CMB didn’t win any wards. Did anyone expect her to do any better than she did? - Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:38 pm: Wonder if Rahm will be meeting with Karen Lewis any time soon. - reformer - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:39 pm: I’ll bet the City turnout tonight exceeds by far the suburban turnout on April 5th. - Apple - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:40 pm: Live ABC feed: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/livenow?id=7096071 - Concerned Observer - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:41 pm: I understand why you were getting exasperated with WGN’s coverage, but I feel the need to highlight a comment made during the telecast (but I’m not watching now). Someone (Clarence Page?) suggested that the reason African-American voters turned out for Rahm and not for CMB may very well be because they wanted to turn out ‘for the President’. That they decided (were influenced to decide?) that electing Rahm Emanuel was the best way to support Barack Obama. I don’t know how true it is, but it sure sounds true to me, and would serve as a strong answer to those questioning the relative power of the A-A community (and whether they ’stayed home’). - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:42 pm: Thanks, Apple. I couldn’t stand WGN any longer. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:43 pm: CO, Clarence Page was not why I couldn’t stand that broadcast. Far from it. - hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:44 pm: Glad to see Miguel del Valle get more votes than Braun. If only he could have actually gotten the money and media coverage of Chico… *sigh* I was torn on whether to vote for him because I had thought this might be going to a runoff and I wasn’t crazy about the idea of Mayor Chico, but for some reason del Valle was on MSNBC yesterday talking about the election. The dumb talking head was trying to incite him to say he was outraged at Obama for not endorsing him when del Valle was an out-and-out Obama supporter early in 2007 and Rahm was “hiding under his desk” for the Barack-Hillary fight but del Valle handled the whole thing with class and dignity and just said he was pleased Obama made no endorsement. Here’s hoping the results of this election can inspire Burke to retire and that Rahm doesn’t act so rigid with the unions in any cuts/reforms to come that we wind up with the labor strife every where else in the Midwest right now. - Apple - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:45 pm: No problem. NBC’s is a little less shaky: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/live-chicago-mayoral-election-116699369.html - Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:50 pm: Listening to Miguel now, I wonder what possible scenarios could lead Rahm to be a one term Mayor. - OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:51 pm: If my guy is in the office, he won. Losers complain about turnout, winners get the office - hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:52 pm: “Someone (Clarence Page?) suggested that the reason African-American voters turned out for Rahm and not for CMB may very well be because they wanted to turn out ‘for the President’. That they decided (were influenced to decide?) that electing Rahm Emanuel was the best way to support Barack Obama.” I’m sure Rahm’s work for Obama was a factor, but I bet if the vote came before Carol Moseley Braun so viciously and embarrassingly tore down another African-American woman publicly Rahm’s numbers wouldn’t have been so good. Rahm’s GOTV was also undoubtedly a lot better because of the Obama infrastructure he would have access to. So glad that now the phone calls will stop. - Chicago J - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:55 pm: NBC also has election coverage on 5.2. - Concerned Observer - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:55 pm: Rich, I’m sure it wasn’t — just thought that was a pretty good point that shouldn’t get lost. hgf, they were specifically talking about that comment when Page (I think) stepped in to suggest that perhaps it was simply another nail in the coffin. But you’re sure right about the GOTV effort. - Mrs. Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 8:59 pm: @hisgirlfriday — When outspent so greatly, CMB needed a compelling message to motivate voters. Did she have one? I didn’t hear it. Beyond identity, how did she differentiate herself from the other candidates? - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:02 pm: At the end of the campaign, the 2011 Chicago election was like the Seinfeld television series–it was largely about nothing. No specifics. Less than four months ago, Brady’s loss to Quinn was blamed, in part upon his inability to announce his financial program to balance the budget. Tonight, Emanuel is the mayor-elect because he would not address the city’s finances beyond generalities. Weird. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:02 pm: hisgirlfriday, woulda, coulda, shoulda. Life doesn’t work that way. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:03 pm: ===Emanuel is the mayor-elect because he would not address the city’s finances beyond generalities. === LOL C’mon. You really think that? - Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:04 pm: I liked the Little Big Man ad featuring Clinton more than the Obama ads. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:06 pm: I’m pretty sure Emanuel won. - Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:08 pm: @Rich or anyone else: I heard Rahm say this campaign was “hard fought”. Do you think it was “hard fought”? It seemed tame, but I watched from a distance. - Bill - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:10 pm: Brendan Reilly is on WLS talking about how great Rahm is and how public employees will have to make concessions and how cutting pension benefits for active city employees is constitutional and “must happen”. This guy spent too much time around Madigan. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:10 pm: KWJ, getting above 50 on your first citywide run is a tough thing to do. So, yeah, it was hard fought in that regard. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:11 pm: @Rich: ===Emanuel is the mayor-elect because he would not address the city’s finances beyond generalities. === Judging from the debates and the televised candidate forums that I watched, it looked like Rahm was trying to avoid answering questions in specific terms. One thing that I am sure of is that he has a relative who is a retired cop. He must have repeated that line a few hundred times since October. - Boone Logan Square - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:14 pm: I won two of my three bets. (Rahm winning outright and the order Rahm-Gery-Miguel-Carol-Patricia-Doc.) If Rahm gets to 55% (he’s at 54.95% with 95% reporting, I sweep. That last retailer’s poll looks pretty good. - Bill - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:15 pm: Wow, Rahm’s been to 110 el stops and he loves Chicago. - Kasich Walker, Jr.'s Lessor - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:16 pm: @Boone Were there odds in Vegas for this election and the placings? - hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:19 pm: “@Rich or anyone else: I heard Rahm say this campaign was “hard fought”. Do you think it was “hard fought”? It seemed tame, but I watched from a distance.” He was talking about the court battle. - Responsa - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:19 pm: I am sorry for those who worked for a candidate who did not win and are understandably sad tonight. However, I hope in the clear grey light of dawn it will be more clear to them that the margin by which Rahm won suggests that he did answer questions to the satisfaction of a broad swath of Chicagoans who took the time to vote. - Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:20 pm: @Rich… Rahm got above 50% first time, but I don’t think his blood pressure rose above normal for the seated position at any time during his public appearances… Of course, there was a lot I didn’t see. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:23 pm: 55% in any election is a big winner. Name the last mayor not named Daley to top it (and neither Daley did it every time). My guess is Burke pockets his money and tries to hold on to judicial slating. - Kasich Walker, Jr. - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:26 pm: @wordslinger Rahm got the 55% w/o public anger. Some of Rahm’s ads seemed like someone just told him to ad lib & “be himself”, or whatever the voters imagine that self should be. It undoubtedly wasn’t effortless, but the campaign appeared that way. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:27 pm: Less than forty percent citywide turnout is a “broad swath” of voters? Interesting possible aldermanic run-offs in 41 and 45. It looks as if two candidates with Republican ties (Gavin and Garrido) made it to the second round if the current percentages hold. Pat Levar’s preferred successor is in third place. The knock on Faz-Huppert is that she had not resided in the ward long enough to suit some locals. Maybe she ought to have run for mayor. Kidding… - just sayin' - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:28 pm: @MayorEmanuel over on twitter sums it up nicely: “If you have a giant @@#!*&%!!# pile of money and a bunch of dumb !!@#!&! running against you, DREAMS DO COME TRUE.” - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:29 pm: Anonymous, a win is a win. Stop attempting to undermine the legitimacy of the ballot. What you’re doing is truly unAmerican. - Lefty - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:41 pm: In the light of our current dire situation, a 40% turnout says so many things one can’t begin to mention them all. I agree it is THE story regardless of the results. We need analysis of the non-voting results and why people don’t vote as much as we need analysis as to why they voted and for whom. - 47th Ward - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:41 pm: That was a nice shout-out to Judy Erwin from Rahm. - Boone Logan Square - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:43 pm: ==@Boone Were there odds in Vegas for this election and the placings?== If there were, I was not aware. This was for steak, not cash. Kass AND Stantis on WGN? Good lord, they couldn’t find a couple of winos to improve the panel? - Elder - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:46 pm: Some of these comments seem silly. A 55% win with a 40% turnout in this economy is a brilliant win. Rahm cleared the field of threats like Dart, swept up all the money, created a sense inevitability, and therefore suppressed turnout. What he most had to fear was a movement insurgency, grounded in economic discontent. Low turnout was a victory. Brilliant campaign. Now we are stuck with the jerk. - Chicago J - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:47 pm: =Rahm got the 55% w/o public anger.= Except for public employees. The “employment agency” ad ticked off every city employee who got their position without clout and puts in a hard day’s work every day — and there are a lot of us. He tried to hide his teeth and play nice later, but why should we believe anything he says now? - Kielbasa King - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:58 pm: It is still down to the wire in the 47th ward. Pawar upsetting O’Donnell with 50.7% with one precinct left to count. I wonder what the recount rules in these situations are… http://www.chicagoelections.com/race_results.php?id=646 - Boone Logan Square - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 9:59 pm: The Bernie Stone death march might be the most entertaining race on April 5. WFLD is doing a much better job than WGN. - JL - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:02 pm: Terry Pederson is still the king. - 47th Ward - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:03 pm: Rich, My comment(s) on turnout was/were not intended to lay foundation for a case that Rahm didn’t have an impressive victory. He did. And the polls predicted it, most of them quite accurately all along. Kudos to the pollsters. But there were several indications/predictions on turnout and most prognosticators set the line at 50%. The under won, and it wasn’t even close. Yes, it snowed this morning. But I don’t think that’s a good enough excuse. Are there really 600 registered voters in my precinct? Because I voted at 6:30 tonight, right before the polls closed, and I was 209 out of 610. Do I really have 400 neighbors who don’t give a (darn) about who our alderman or mayor is? That’s hard for me to believe. There must be another reason for this embarassing turnout beyond voter apathy. - Chicago J - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:18 pm: @47th Ward. Don’t forget the early voters. - Siriusly - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:18 pm: 47 - you are smarter than this Clearly the Rahm campaign did a great job of conveying a sense of inevitability. When voters really don’t their vote matters, why bother. Lazy voter wonders “Will Rahm beat Chico by 15% or 20%” Is that motivation? Hardly. - Siriusly - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:20 pm: It’s 10:19 and ABC7 is done talking about the election already. - Kasich Walker, Jr.'s Media Consultant - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:31 pm: WBBM TV stuck with it until 10:30. Andy Shaw’s suggestion that Chicago is a post-racial city because African Americans didn’t stay with CMB was brushed aside by others who believed that CMB was just too weak of a candidate, both in funding and ideas. - Argh!!!!! - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:32 pm: Rich, undermining the legitimacy of an election is exactly the most American thing to do. lol! Remember how the Democrats in Congress treated the President through most of 2001? - DuPage Dave - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:34 pm: As I say after every election: Congrats to the winners, one and all. Today’s hero is tomorrow’s bum. So throw the bums out, already! - Tim - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:39 pm: ABC7 took a quick break, did an interview with Bernie Stone and went to weather. They’re apparently coming back with more coverage. - Kasich Walker, Jr.'s Private Tutor - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:44 pm: Will Rahm help Sodexo move beyond the cafeteria and into the classroom yet? Without certification? - Kasich Walker, Jr.'s Media Consultant - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:50 pm: Another point mentioned by Shaw was that African Americans were turned off and the “community” was not served well by the attempt to present CMB as a “unity” candidate. I think CMB wasn’t unable to get enough of the 60% or so who didn’t vote motivated. Chico paid the price. Maybe Gery should have thrown a little dough into some ads for CMB. - Kasich Walker, Jr.'s Media Consultant - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:52 pm: wow….edit. I think CMB wasn’t able to get enough of the 60% or so who didn’t vote motivated. Chico paid the price. Maybe Gery should have thrown a little dough into some ads for CMB. I’ll stop now. - SpfldGuy - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 10:57 pm: The big story in Spfld. is not that Houston came in first, but that Mike Coffey, supported by the Republican organization, came in third behind Stocks-Smith and Houston. So much for all of that money and Repub machine support. Coffey’s third place finish evidences the collapse of the Sangamon County Republican organization. - shore - Tuesday, Feb 22, 11 @ 11:58 pm: abc7 had video of its reporter taking a picture of stone with his iphone camera. This is the same ben bradlee that was gushing all over mayor daley’s olympic bid and told us it was a done deal. more professionalism please. - Newsclown - Wednesday, Feb 23, 11 @ 12:41 am: The day before, I listened to CMB on the Row Conn show. Her last chance to try to connect with 3-4 million possible voters for fifteen minutes for free, and she puts Roe on “hold” mid-conversation while talking and waving to some lady in the street that’s waving back at her thru the window of her van as she makes the call. That spoke volumes to me about Carol’s judgement and state of mind. Roe wasn’t a fan of her, but he was holding out a life preserver, basically, and she couldn’t see it. I think the comment by Shaw that Chicago’s AA community is “post racial” is right on, and I’ve said as much myself. That community was tired of being assumed to be “owned” by any particular candidate, just along racial lines; this is Chicago, and results are what count. I don’t care what your skin looks like if I get my city services running right and my safety and security are stable, and jobs are being created. Rahm projected all of that, and people of all colors like to back a winner, assuming he will return the favor. The preachers and old ward heelers of the South side were playing a too-old game of bundle -and-deliver. That is, I bundle the “back vote” as a bloc, then I trade it to someone else for favors and/or influence later, or just use it as a threatened “spoiler” vote, then when I get what *I* want, I let the bundle of votes dissolve away without achieving anything lasting… until the next time I start the game all over. CMB, Meeks, Jackson, et al. You were taking advantage of the absolute LAST people that would ever want to consider themselves “sold”, and in February, no less. They got tired of the shtick long ago. They went with someone who can make good on a promise to delver. Now it is up to Rahm to make good, and you’ll see if he can hold onto that AA support. - amalia - Wednesday, Feb 23, 11 @ 1:00 am: someone who is on Twitter, please help……Tweet fake Mayor Emanuel and Fake Speaker Madigan and urge them to exchange tweets in the morning. the “conversation” would be amusing, both from a virtual world perspective but also from a performance artist to performance artist perspective. Come on, awesome fakers….do it for our post election night amusement, please!!!!! - Aldyth - Wednesday, Feb 23, 11 @ 7:54 am: One of the best things about this campaign season being over is that Carol Mosely Braun can fade back into obscurity where she belongs. - Stones - Wednesday, Feb 23, 11 @ 8:33 am: Can we FINALLY put a fork into Carol Mosley-Braun? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.